True Knowledge
by ogeemattyb
Summary: Peter is dead, Derek is the Alpha, but not how he thought. Stiles just wants to do what's best for everyone, but when the Kanima pops up and people start dying, he knows that he has to help even at the risk of his own life. His love for Derek might get in the way, or it might just be the thing that saves them. Only time will tell... Follows the events of True Alpha
1. Chapter 1

Spending a whole weekend in a hospital is not what I would consider my idea of fun. The last time I did something like this was when my mom died. But at least then I got to stay in her room.

Lydia has gotten better. Like I thought, the bite didn't take, but she didn't die. Lydia just likes to break all the norms, and changes the rules to fit her. Okay so maybe there could be a supernatural reason why this happened, but it is beyond me to know, or be able to discover why. It's not like you can just type in a Google search, 'why didn't my friend turn into a werewolf after she was bitten?' I tried that. It got me nowhere. And in all the research I have on werewolves it never mentions this kind of thing happening.

So that is why I have been here all weekend. Well me and Allison, we have been taking shifts. Right now it is my turn, and I am sitting here reading through my notes and books again trying to figure out why an Alpha would have purple eyes. That is a mystery I can't figure out. I really want to go to Dr. Deaton and ask a bunch of questions, but the fact that he has barely started to tell Scott anything is holding me back. Plus he seems like the kind of guy to answer your question with another question. Not what I need right now.

When I'm not here, I am home in bed. Trying to sleep, but not really being able to. I am still reeling from everything that has happened. And then there is the way I now know I feel about Derek. I can't believe that it took me this long to figure out I was in love with him. Well maybe I can. I didn't know I liked guys until a month or so ago. I thought I was in love with Lydia. But looking at her now, well I still feel love, just more of a friendship kind of love. Like I feel about Allison.

Speaking Allison, she and Scott have been having a rough weekend too. When she does come it is usually not alone. It's usually her father that comes with her. Him I can handle. The few times her mother has come… well let's just say that the creepy factor that Peter had can only be rivaled by Victoria Argent. That woman… the way she looks at me makes me shudder. Allison isn't too happy that she is being watched like this. But her parents don't trust her. We don't acknowledge each other than a brief nod. But our code is still working. We have been texting back and forth frequently. I have been mostly a message boy for her and Scott, but often times when that happens, I just hand the phone over to Scott so they can text all the lovey dovey crap they want. I have to say that I am bit jealous that they both have someone to be like that with. I can feel love and adoration rolling off Scott every time her name is brought up around him.

Oh yeah, that's the other weird thing that has been going on. Ever since the night Peter died, I have been able to hone in on the way people feel. Mostly I have started to look for all the telltale signs, creased brow, bead of sweat, slight upturn of the mouth, twitch of the eye. Little things that when put together give more emotion away. It has also helped me to give off fake emotions. Well not fake, just not what I am really feeling at the time. Right now I kind of feel like I am heartbroken, but I have been exuding happier emotions. It is what Lydia needs right now. It's what Allison needs, and my father. Yeah he wasn't so happy after the dance. The fact that Scott, Allison and I all disappeared for a few hours… The only reason I am allowed at the hospital is because he knew I would sneak out to come anyway. Everyone still thinks I am in love with Lydia, and I haven't corrected them yet. If they think I am in love with her, then they won't know where my true affections lie.

I am broken out of my reverie by a blood curdling scream. And it came from Lydia's room. Mrs. McCall, Lydia's physical therapist, and I run in the room, and then to the bathroom only to find it empty. The window is open and the curtains are billowing in the breeze. Why would she run naked? This is so not right, and I hate Peter for what he did to her. I give dad a description of her, and he tells me to get home. He has a concerned look in his eye. After being mad that I was 'missing' for a few hours, I that I wouldn't tell him where I was, he has been giving me worried looks. He can tell that I'm not sleeping. I don't know what I am going to do. I don't like him to worry.

I send Allison a message telling her what happened, and also to Scott. I am going to need Scott's nose. I took the gown she was wearing before she ran. We are going to try and track her. Allison meets us at my jeep as I get out to it. Scott is already inside. I let Allison in the back, and hand Scott the gown. She says that her dad left with some guys in three SUVs. They are going to hunt her.

"If she is turning would they actually kill her?"

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything. Okay, all they'll say is, 'We'll talk after Kate's funeral, when the others get here.' And to be quite honest, I don't even want to go to the damn funeral. As far as I am concerned the Aunt Kate I loved died a long time ago."

"What others?"

"I don't… They won't tell me that either." I feel for Allison. She needs to keep up appearances and act like she is grieving but I don't blame her for the way she feels.

"Okay, your family's got some serious communication issues to work on. Scott, are we going the right way?"

"Take the next right!"

Eventually all the turns he has me take lead us back to the Hale property. I don't think that she would come here. I don't see why she would. I still don't think she is turning. But I don't know what she is. I park back further like the last time I came here. And we walk up to the house. I haven't been here since Peter died, and it wasn't someplace that I really wanted to come back to. But then at the same time I do. We haven't seen or heard from Derek since he became the Alpha. I text him once in a moment of weakness after seeing Lydia for the first time since I left her on the field. She was still unconscious, and I told her everything that had happened. I couldn't keep it inside any longer. And even though she didn't hear me it still felt good getting it off my chest.

Not I just have to wait to run into Derek again. Hopefully it can be under better circumstances this time. "She came here? You're sure?"

"Yeah, this is where the scent leads."

We keep walking but then I stop again, "All right, but has Lydia ever been here?"

"Not with me." Allison and Lydia spent a lot of time together these last few months. I don't think that an abandoned house in the woods is exactly Lydia's style. "Maybe she came here on instinct, like she was looking for Derek."

"You mean looking for an Alpha."

"Wolves need a pack right?"

"Not all of them." I want to tell them that I am pretty sure that she isn't turning. I just don't know what to say to back up my theory. I don't have any tangible evidence, just this feeling in my gut. And I don't think that will be enough to convince anyone. Maybe Allison would believe me. But I still don't say anything.

"But would she have been drawn to an Alpha? Is it an instinct to be part of a pack?"

"Yeah, we're stronger in packs."

"Like strength in numbers."

"No, like literally stronger, faster, better in every way." So some of what I have been telling Scott is actually sinking in.

"That's the same for an Alpha?"

He nods. I am still looking around for any clues as to where she could be. "That'll make Derek stronger too." It's then that I notice the trip wire.

"Whoa! Hey, look at this. You see this?" Allison comes over we are looking at it, so I activate it.

"Stiles."

"Yeah buddy?" We turn and Scott is hanging upside down.

"Next time you see a tripwire, don't trip it." Allison and I can't help but chuckle a little bit. We walk towards him to help him down. "Wait, wait, wait, wait. Someone's coming. Hide. Go." Allison and I get behind a tree just as Mr. Argent and some others walk into the clearing. I can't really hear the conversation, but I don't really want to either. We try to get him down, but he cuts himself free, and we head into the house. I look up stairs while they look down. The bedroom that Derek was obviously using is empty. I didn't expect him to be here, but a guy can hope. I look over the room, and it looks like he hasn't been here in a while. A few weeks at least. There are some empty food wrappers and a bare mattress. I am glad that he isn't living here anymore, I just hope wherever he is, he is okay.

We don't find anything and it is getting too late to stay out any longer. I drive back to the hospital to drop Allison off, and then take Scott home. When I get up to my room, I go to change for bed. I take the Henley that Derek left here and put it on. I know it's not healthy but it's the only way I can sleep at night. If Scott notices Derek's scent lingering on me, he doesn't say anything, but then he wasn't always the quickest on the up-take.

…

The next morning Dad is gone before I get up. There is a note that says he had to leave early for work. I am not surprised.

At school Scott and I confront Jackson to see if he has seen Lydia, but he is his regular douchey self and is no help at all. In chemistry I can't help but to say what I feel. Maybe I push Mr. Harris on purpose. I know I'll get in trouble. But I can't leave this hanging. "All right, it's causing me severe mental anguish to say this, but what if she hurts someone?"

"This is a pop quiz Mr. Stalinksi. If I hear your voice again, I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career."

"Can you do that?" No filter, just word vomit. Always with the word vomit.

"Well, there it is again. Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently. I'll see you at three for detention." I really don't think that he is legally allowed to say anything like that. I am pretty sure that it is still considered a threat. I should be used to it by now. Jackson rushes out of class with a bloody nose. The rest of the day goes without too much happening. Then in detention Mr. Harris pretty much tells me that because my dad figured out that he helped Kate with the fire, I am going to suffer the consequences. Not his exact words, but that is pretty much the gist of it. He is going to pick on me even more than he did before. This is just great.

By the time I get out of there and to the funeral there is an old man there. He is apparently Allison's grandfather. I try to be optimistic. But we know that they are reinforcements. This is not good. Hopefully Derek will be okay.

Dad catches us and takes us to his squad car. We sit there in silence for a bit, and I send a text to Derek. I'm weak okay. I just want to warn him if he didn't know already that there are more hunters in the area now. And to be careful. The last time I talked to him was that night he came to my bedroom to tell me that he wasn't with Peter. I thought that we shared a moment or something. He let me see his vulnerable side. I saw him without his mask. And he saw me without mine. I haven't let anyone in like that in a long time, and even if nothing will happen between us romantically, I would like to be his friend. I feel like I need to be his friend.

Then we hear over the radio about the ambulance, and how something got in and attacked the guy who suffered from the heart attack in the back. We go to check it out. Have to make sure that it wasn't Lydia. She isn't there, but Scott does pick up her scent. As he turns to leave I grab his coat. "Just… I just need you to find her. All right? Please just… Just find her." I can feel all the guilt of leaving her on the field alone creeping up. I feel that I put her in the situation. It's my fault she got hurt, and it's my fault if anything happens to her. I don't know that I can deal with it any longer.

"I will."

Scott leaves and when my dad gets there I step out and come up to him. He looks at me like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. He looks hurt. It's because I won't tell him what is going on. I am surprised that he hasn't grounded me, or yelled at me. I would almost prefer that. This silent pained look he gives me is worse. I am disappointing him, whether he will admit it or not.

It is during one of these nonverbal communications that I look away from him, and I see Lydia coming through the trees. "Lydia?"

She is naked, and I run up to her taking off my button-down shirt wrapping it around her. She doesn't look like she knows where she is. And that is terrifying. Dad called in an ambulance, and when it gets there I ride with her to the hospital. She is clutching at the shirt, and then after we hit a bump in the road, she is clutching me. Now if this had happened a year ago, I would have been thrilled. Now, I feel like protecting her, like she is a really close friend, or a sister. She is shaking so hard, I can feel myself start to shake too. I just hold her close and whisper into to hair that it will be all right. That everything will be alright.

When we get to the hospital, I have to let her go, so she can get looked at by a doctor. She is going to be kept for at least one more night for observation. Sometimes knowing one of the nurses has its perks.

I call Allison not even bothering to use the track phone. This is me calling about a mutual friend. "We found her."

"Really!? Is she okay, is she hurt?"

"She is okay I think; she just wandered out of the woods. I rode with her to the hospital, and now she is in with the doctor getting looked over. She probably has a mild case of hypothermia, and they will keep her overnight for observation, but she should be back to school by the end of the week."

"That's so good! I am so glad you found her. Is Scott there?"

"No, we heard a call come in over my dad's radio about an ambulance being attacked, and we went to check it out thinking it was Lydia. Scott got a scent, and went to check it out. I hung back. And that is when Lydia came out. I haven't heard back from Scott yet."

There is a moment of silence. "Stiles are you okay?"

"I'm great. Just peachy." I try to put on as much of a positive voice as possible, but my shoulders are slumped and my eyes are drooping. This weekend has kicked my ass.

"You don't sound too good. Are you sure?"

"I am sure Allison. This weekend is just catching up with me. I don't think I have slept for more than two hours at a time."

"I know what you mean."

"You having nightmares?"

"How did you know?"

"You watched your aunt die. A person just doesn't get over something like that in a few days. Even if it is someone like Kate. You were close weren't you? You have to mourn her, if not who she was these last few months, but for who she was when you had that closeness with her. It is hard now, but believe me it will get better. Just try to focus on some of the positive things. I know we are lacking on them right now, but Derek is the Alpha now, Lydia is going to make a full recovery, and you and Scott are still going strong even in the face of all the odds against you."

"What about you Stiles? What is going good for you?"

"My dad is still alive. We are all still alive. I count that as a victory." She is silent again. I can tell she wants to ask a question. "Just ask me Allison. I know you want to, whatever it is."

"You are just trying to take care of others, and I just want to know, who is going to take care of you? You should really try to talk to him, I-"

"-Allison, I am going to cut you off right there. I don't know what you think you know, but even if it is the truth, there is no way he would want someone like me. So we are just not going to go there."

"He would be lucky to have you Stiles. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

I don't want to have this conversation. And I really don't want to have this conversation on the phone. But it's like a floodgate that is bursting in me. Before it spills over I run. I end up on the roof. Away from everyone. Allison is still on the other end of the line. She doesn't say anything as I run. And when I get to the roof, I am breathless. "He won't even talk to me Allison. I have texted him and called him, and he hasn't responded. I thought that he would at least text me back. But he hasn't. He doesn't want anything to do with me. And there is nothing I can do to change that."

"Give him time. I am sure that he is unsettled by become the Alpha. He wasn't expecting that. I really think he thought he would become an Omega. This is a big deal for him."

I don't say anything back. I believe what she said, but I still don't know. I really thought that he trusted me. Now, though I am not so sure. "Thanks Allison. Just… can you please not tell Scott? I don't know how he will react. I don't think the gay thing will bother him, but I think the guy will." I can't even say his name out loud. Not when I am talking about how I feel for him. Is that pathetic?

"I won't, I promise… So Gay thing, guys all the way for you?"

"Yes. No? Maybe only one guy. I'm not sure. And I am trying hard not to read too much into it."

"That's okay. You can't control who you like."

"Yeah… How are you holding up?"

"As about as well can be expected. But I think that Gerard is going to be a problem."

"Your grandfather?"

"Yeah. He went with my dad tonight. I am not so sure he is here to help us deal with our 'grief'. I think he wants revenge. And I don't think he cares who gets in the way."

"What!? Did you overhear him talking?"

"No, but just from the way he is trying to be nice. It is saccharine, over the top. He is trying too hard. They don't think I suspect anything. I'll keep my eyes and ears open though."

"You know you don't have to do this, right?"

"Yes, I do. I have a lot to make up for, for my family. My dad told me what the code is. It is something that I can believe in. I stand with you, Scott, even Derek. And I will help my friends. Just like you."

There is nothing much I can say to that. I think she knows it too. We don't say goodbye, but we don't need to. I don't know how, but she is quickly becoming another best friend. I thought I would only get one of those in my life time. Now I have two. Things may yet turn around. Who knows…


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm serious. It's not like the last full moon. I don't feel the same."

"Oh does that include the urge to maim and kill people like me?" Sorry Scott if I don't quite trust you on this one. He isn't acting like he did last month, but that doesn't mean anything.

"I swear I don't have the urge to maim and kill you."

"You know, you say that now, but then the full moon goes up and out come the fangs and claws and there's a lot of howling and screaming and running everywhere, okay? And it's very stressful on me, and so yes, I'm still locking you up."

"Okay fine. But I do think I'm in more control now. Especially since things are good with Allison."

"Okay, I'm aware of how good things are with Allison."

"They're really good."

"I… Thank you, I know."

"I mean, like, really good."

"I know! You are not the only one telling me these things. I hear about it from her just about as much as I hear about it from you!" And that is the truth. Since our little bonding conversation over the phone Allison has started to talk to me more. And about more than werewolf stuff. I mean we are always planning and trying to think three steps ahead of the other Argents, but a fair amount of the conversation is talking about how things are going with Scott. I don't think I need that many details about their relationship. They both have a tendency to overshare. "Just please shut up before I feel the urge to maim and kill myself."

"Is it weird for you to hear about it from both of us?"

"Sometimes. But Nah it's cool. I get the whole 'I love her', 'I love him' thing. Just sometimes you guys need to know when to quit. Maybe I need to get a safe word for you two. Then you know when to stop. And if you don't I will get to exact revenge on you both."

"All right," he says with a chuckle, "did you get something better than handcuffs this time?"

"Yeah much better." I open my locker and the chain that I had in my bag for the last full moon falls out and onto the floor. Everyone in the locker room stops talking and is staring at me and the chain. I don't even try to stop it. That would just cause a bigger scene than this does. Coach walks up to me, he just stands there and watches the chain fall and doesn't say anything until it is finished.

"Part of me wants to ask. The other part of me says knowing will be more disturbing than anything I could ever imagine. So… I'm gonna walk away." And he does.

"That's good. That's a wise choice, Coach." I kneel down with Scott to start picking it up and stuffing it into a bag. I look up at Scott when his hands stop moving and I notice a weird look on his face. "You okay? Scott."

"There's another. In here, right now."

"Another what?"

"Another werewolf."

We go out onto the lacrosse field after we are suited up. "It was kind of like a scent, but I couldn't tell who it was."

"What if you can get him one-on-one? Would that help?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. I think I got an idea." I run off and convince coach to let Scott play goalie. And then I run back with all the goalie equipment. "I told Coach that you were switching with Danny for the day."

"But I hate playing goal."

"Remember when I said I had an idea? This is the idea." Scott is really slow sometimes.

"What's the idea?"

"I seriously don't understand how you survived without me sometimes."

He gets in about three hits before the coach comes up to me and asks what is wrong with him so I give him word vomit. "Well he's failing two classes. He's a little socially awkward, and if you look close enough, his jaw line's kind of uneven." That gets him off my back at least. Then it's Jackson's turn, and he just decides to walk away. And that is SO unlike Jackson that it has me questioning him. Would Derek have given him the bite? And if he did, why didn't Scott pick up on it earlier? But then Isaac is in front of me, and he is breathing really hard. Like he's angry, and it all clicks. Scott sees it too. They clash on the ground, but then before the Coach can say anything, my dad and two other deputies are walking to the field. And I am pretty sure it's not to watch me practice. When they take Isaac off to the side Scott listens in so we know what is going on.

"His father's dead. They think he was murdered."

"Are they saying he's a suspect?"

"I'm not sure why?"

"Because they can lock him in a holding cell for twenty-four hours."

"Like overnight?"

"During the full moon."

"How good are these holding cells at holding people?"

"People, great. Werewolves… not so much."

"Stiles, remember how I said that I don't have the urge to maim and kill?"

"Yeah."

"He does."

…

In Chemistry, because of course it's Chemistry, why wouldn't it be Chemistry, I have to ask a thousand and one questions. There are a few that hit closer to home than others. But Scott is the one to ask first. "Why would Derek choose Isaac?"

"Peter told me that if they bite doesn't turn you it kills you, and maybe teenagers have a better chance of surviving."

"Does being a teenager mean your dad can't hold him?"

"Well no unless they have solid evidence. Or a witness."

"Wait." I turn back to Danny sitting behind us. Jackson isn't there. He didn't come to class at all. "Danny, where's Jackson? In the principal's office talking to your dad."

"What? Why?"

"Maybe because he lives across the street from Isaac."

"Witness."

"We have to get to the principal's office."

"How?"

I grab a piece of paper and make a ball out of it. Then I hand it to Scott. And motion for him to throw it. And he does. Nails Harris right on the back of the head. When he asks who did that we just point at each other, and before we know it we are outside the principal's office.

Scott listens into the conversation and shares it with me. When he says that Isaac's dad was beating him, I get angry. When he says that he knew it was happening, Scott has to physically restrain me from going in there and kicking the shit out of him. Scott's grip becomes really tight, so tight that I think I might have a bruise on my upper arm later. But right now I don't care. The rage that is simmering under the surface of my skin is almost unbearable. I want to lash out and hit something. I am pretty sure if I could growl, I would be.

I mask my face and get myself under some semblance of control. When dad comes out he just looks at me and keeps walking. I am glad because I am not sure I have enough resolve to not lash out verbally. Then Gerard walks out of the office and tells us to step in. This is so not good.

He starts talking to Scott and I drone him out. The rage is still there, and being in Gerard's presence is doing nothing to help the situation any. When he does address me he notices my good grades, but overlooks the face that I am on the lacrosse team. I don't really care either. He starts talking to Scott again, this time about Allison, and my ears perk up at this. That saccharine tone that Allison said he has is coming across quite clear. Then when he implies that only one of us is going to take the fall and get the detention, they both look at me. Like really? Why am I the one to be blamed for it? I just roll my eyes, and agree to whatever they say. I don't even care at this point.

All I want to do is go and check on Isaac. Wait… Where did that feeling come from? I don't even know Isaac. We have never really talked. Detention goes by very slowly. And by the time Harris lets me out, it is late. Really late. I see a bunch of missed calls from Allison on my track phone. Something is wrong. Besides the obvious. So I call her back as soon as I hit the parking lot. "Hey, sorry Harris literally just let me out of detention. Literally. And I couldn't answer cause he took my regular phone."

"Well, we need to do something right now. They were asking me all these questions about Lydia, and how she was bitten by Peter, and they send this guy out."

Wait, what guy?"

"He was dressed as a Sheriff's deputy." Shit, shit shit!

"They're sending him to the station for Isaac."

"He was also carrying this box with something on it, like… Like a carving or something."

"What was it?"

"Hold on, hold on. It's in one of these books. I'm taking a picture." When I get the picture I am freaking out again. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah, wolfsbane."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they're gonna kill Isaac." I get really angry again. They can't just kill him he's an innocent. "I think I have a plan. I need you to try and slow down that deputy, I don't care how. But I need a few extra minutes. Then meet me at the parking garage. I have to go to help Isaac, but Scott still needs to be locked up tonight. It's a full moon, and I know he won't hurt you."

"What are you going to do to help Isaac?"

"I'm not sure, but I have to get him out of there."

"He won't be in control. He will kill you."

"I have a plan. Don't worry. I got this." I am glad that Allison isn't a werewolf. She can't tell that I am lying. I have no plan. Well I have one, but he hasn't talked to me in about a week, so I don't know if it will work. I hang up and call Derek. He doesn't answer. "Derek, I am about to go free your new puppy from the kennel, and if you don't get back to me ASAP I will find you and rip out your throat with my teeth." I end the call and feel a little bubble of laughter come up. I just threatened a werewolf. I just threatened an Alpha. I am so dead.

I meet up with Allison and give her the chains to go and help Scott. She gives me a quick hug that I return. The, be careful, goes unsaid by both of us, but it is implied. Derek texts me to wait for him and I do. When he gets there I can tell he is nervous and anxious but I don't let my own show. So I just drive to the station and park.

"Okay, now the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father's office. The problem is getting past the front desk."

"I'll distract her." He starts to get out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… you? You're not going in there." He looks quickly between my hand and his shoulder. I grabbed him. He could rip my face off and I grabbed him. Oh well. He just keeps glaring at me.

"I was exonerated."

"You are still a person of interest." Mostly to me, but that is beside the point. This is the first time we have talked since his confession of not joining Peter. And there is so much I want to say. There is always going to be so much I want to say to him. But I can't, not right now. Isaac comes first.

"An innocent person."

"And… you? Yeah, right!" sitting here arguing isn't going to help. "Okay fine, what's your plan?"

"To distract her." He says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"How? By punching her in the face?"

He gives me a sarcastic smile, it is all teeth. And that makes me melt a little. I can't help it. "By talking to her."

This I can't believe. "Okay, all right. Give me a sample. What are you going to open with?" He turns and give me his now signature, if-you-don't-stop-talking-I-will-rip-off-one-of-yo ur-body-parts stare. "Dead silence. That should work beautifully, any other ideas?"

"Thinking about punching you in the face." Stare again. I just wish that stare didn't make my stomach feel like it had butterflies in it. I can tell he isn't really mad or angry with me when he gives it. Not anymore at least. So in my eyes, the stare is a term of endearment. That is the way I am looking at it and no one can change my mind.

We walk into the station and I let Derek in first so he can 'distract' the guard. When I see his smile I want to smile, even though it should make me want to roll my eyes. It isn't like his sincere smile, but it is close. Then he is flirting… and I am mad again. The thoughts that run through my mind are not thoughts that I should possess. Nothing is making sense anymore, so I am just going to stop fighting it and let it happen. I am not even going to question it. Okay, well maybe I am, but I am going to try not to.

I slip past into the hallway that leads to my dad's office. I need to get this done quickly. Hopefully the Hunter isn't here yet.

In the office I go over to the wall that has the lockbox on it and I put in the code, but when I open it the keys are already gone. And now it's time to freak out. The Hunter is here. I go out and try to find where he is. I come across a deputy after a minute, and at first I try to explain myself. Then I look down and see an arrow sticking out of his leg and a syringe in his hand. "Oh shit." I make a run for it, but he grabs me and pulls me back. I try to fight back though I see the fire alarm and pull it. This is Derek's warning that things are not going well back here.

We get into the cell room, and the door is off its hinges and Isaac is not there. Well he is, he is just off to the side and then he tackles the Hunter. I scramble to the wall to get out of the way. And then the Hunter drops the syringe and I get up, run over to it, and step on it smashing it. Isaac turns to see me and at first it looks like he is going to attack. He lunges for me and I just stand there. But the slashing and biting never comes. Instead he is sniffing me and hugging me. He doesn't have a grasp on his strength yet, so it hurts a little, but before I know it I am hugging him back. His head slots into the crook of my neck between my chin and my shoulder, and he starts to rub his furry face against it. It is all a little weird but comforting at the same time. Then there is a roar from behind me and Isaac is against the wall curled up in a ball. I don't even look behind me; I just rush over to Isaac, and make sure he is okay. When I am reassured that his fear is dissipating, I turn to Derek. His eyes are still that bright amethyst and his fangs are protruding. "Why would you do that!?"

"He was going to hurt you. I'm the Alpha. It is my responsibility to look out for my pack."

"He wasn't hurting me. He was…" Do I say it? I know exactly what he was doing. He was scenting me. I don't know why he was scenting me, but that is what was happening. And I know that I was doing it back. But I am not thinking about it. It's a thing. And it happened. I pull Isaac up and grab his hand. His head is still lowered, and when we pass Derek, he bears his neck to him. We go out the back door, and get to my jeep. I make Derek sit in the back, and as soon as Isaac is in the front seat I grab his hand again. I don't know if this is more reassuring to me or to him. I can feel Derek's anger and I am pretty sure Isaac can to. He tries to pull away from my hand a few times, but I strengthen my grip and don't let him.

After driving for about five minutes my phone start ringing. Isaac goes to pull away again, but I keep his hand and pull over to the side of the road. I pull out my phone and answer. "What's up Allison?" There is a growl from the backseat but I ignore it.

"Stiles, did you get him out? Is he safe, are you safe?" I turn to look Isaac in the face to show that I am calm and it's all no big deal.

"He is out, and we are both fine. A little shaken, but that is to be expected when your Alpha is a sourwolf." Another growl, and a whimper from Isaac, that must have been to stifle the laughter I can see in his eyes.

"That's good. But something happened. Something was in the house with us."

"You mean another wolf?"

"No. It was defiantly not a wolf. It was lizard-like. It didn't attack us, but it was close." I look in my rearview mirror and send a questioning glance at Derek. He just shakes his head with a scowl. "Derek doesn't know what it could be. I guess I will have to do some research. But for now go home. You will be safe there. Is Scott okay?"

"Yeah, he broke out of the chains I had him in. Those won't be any use anymore. But he seems to be in control for the most part."

"What do you mean most part?" It is then that I hear a small yip from the other end of the line, and I can only imagine what nefarious things Scott is doing to her. "You know what, I don't want to know. Don't tell me. Please, don't tell me."

She laughs and says goodbye, and I hang up. I go to start driving again. But then I don't know where I am taking them. "So where are you living now?"

Derek gives me directions, and it sounds like he is living in the old train station. When I pull up I see that is exactly where he is. I breathe out a sigh, but I don't think that I have the energy to yell at Derek for living somewhere that isn't a regular house or apartment. Abandoned buildings, really? I turn off the jeep and get out only to run around the front and grab Isaac in a hug as soon as he clears the door. The scenting starts up almost immediately and I don't even care. I can feel him calming down, and that is all that matters.

Derek gets out and glares at us, I swear I can see the jealousy in his eyes. He must be mad that Isaac is turning to me for comfort rather than himself. After Derek sulks into the building I pull back from Isaac a bit. And I make him look me in the eye. "Now you can't use your phone, if you have one, anymore. I want you to turn it off and throw it in a river or something. They can track you like that. I will get you a track phone tomorrow, and you can call me whenever you want. You can't come over when my dad is there, well, because you are a fugitive now. And I am sorry about that. But if you need anything, and sourwolf is either unwilling or you don't feel that you can go to him, come to me and I will do my best to help." He nods in agreement, and hugs me tightly one last time before he too disappears into the building. I am going to have to find a way to either convince Derek to get an actual house or apartment, or to at least find something for Isaac. This can't be healthy.

I get back in my jeep and drive home trying really hard not to over analyze anything that happened tonight. And for the most part it works. Things are going to happen, and I am not going to be able to explain it all the time. Now it is going to happen more often. I can feel it. But I guess I will just have to deal with it as it comes.


	3. Chapter 3

It has been a few nights since the full moon, and getting Isaac out of jail. The day after I went over to his house, and had to force myself not to go downstairs. Allison and Scott told me that there is a chest freezer down there with a padlock on it and scratch marks on the inside. His dad locked him in that thing for who knows how long. I just wanted to get a few things for Isaac. Some clothes, his mp3 player, some soap. Things that the cops won't notice are missing, but things that will hopefully give him a sense of 'home'.

I also stopped by the store and bought a generic track phone and put a bunch of minutes on it. I also got some snack food for him. Some healthy, some not. I didn't really know what he likes so I went with variety. Probably gonna have to do a few more chores around the house to get a better allowance, but seeing as I am the one who does most of the house work anyway, I don't think dad will really care. He works long hours and really odd ones at that. Never know when the next crime is going to happen.

I dropped by the abandoned train station, that shall heretofore be known as 'DCL', or 'Derek's Creepy Lair', after I had everything. Isaac looked bored out of his mind when I started down the stairs, and I could tell the instant he caught my scent. His head perked up and his eyes go big. He ran over and grabbed most of the stuff out of my hands and carried it back to what must be his 'room.' I followed and am at least pleased to see a mattress, and a lamp.

He texts me quite a bit after that. And it only takes a day and my dad working a night shift to invite him over. I tell him to come up to the back of the house from the woods, and that the door will be unlocked. When he gets here he still knocks on the door, and I go to let him in. I What surprised me more is that Derek is there as well. I thought he would be off doing whatever wolfy stuff he does or brooding in a dark coffee shop. He would do something like that. I don't say anything, but I let them in. I have lasagna in the oven already baking and I have some garlic bread ready to go in. Derek stands stoically in the doorway to the kitchen while Isaac is fidgeting. I can tell he wants to hug, but is holding himself back. So I take away the option and go over to him and wrap him up in a Stilinski hug. He may be taller than me, but he slips easily into the embrace. His nose finds my neck and I can hear the inhale. Scenting is defiantly something that I have to get used to. The book I have upstairs says that scenting is not only a way of marking territory, or telling other wolves that this person is under their protection, it is a way of showing affection in a pack and gaining a sense of comfort. Especially toward the humans in the pack. I am not sure why Isaac feels the need to do it, and why Scott doesn't. I always thought that I was part of his pack. But I guess he doesn't feel the same way. And I am pretty sure that Derek doesn't feel like I am part of his pack. I asked Allison if Scott does it to her, and she said he did. When she asked why I wanted to know, I just brushed it off as simple curiosity. And if Scott noticed that I suddenly smelled like a different wolf, he doesn't say anything.

The look in Derek's eyes every time this happens is always the same. Jealousy. I don't think he realizes he lets the mask slip a little every time, but I am the only one around to see it so I don't say anything. I pull away and ask Isaac if he would help me make the salad for dinner and go about setting the table. Isaac is more than happy to, or at least I think his is judging from the grin on his face.

I don't know why I have come to feel so protective over him. I have tried not to analyze it, but I just can't help it. Maybe it's because he has lost both of his parents now. Maybe it's because of the way his dad used to treat him. Maybe it's because I feel like I should have seen this earlier and done something about it. We were never close and we didn't talk. Isaac was much more introverted before the change. Now he talks more freely. At least to me he does.

Dinner is a bit awkward. Well for me and Derek it is. Isaac seems completely comfortable. He rambles about the training that Derek is giving him, and how much he loved the Nutty Bars I picked up. He had never had them before. After that admission he quiets down a bit, but I pick up the conversation in his place, saying how they are one of my favorites too. It's not a complete lie, but they don't call me on it. Then I move on to tell him how lucky he is to now have to be in school. How Harris is still a douche bag and that homework really sucks.

After dinner he helps me do the dishes, and Derek stays seated at the table. He has yet to say anything tonight. I try not to make eye contact with him, but he seems to be looking at me every time I look in his direction. I don't know what to make of it.

We move to the living room, and I let Isaac pick out what we watch. He decides on a movie, I don't really remember what it was. What do remember is sitting next to him on the couch almost cuddling, and running my fingers through his curly hair. I remember Derek sitting in an armchair watching us, and not the TV. I remember Isaac falling asleep on my shoulder even though the action sequences blare through the surround sound speakers. After he has been a sleep for twenty minutes, I turn off the movie. No one was watching it anyway. But I don't move. I don't feel like I need to. And that hasn't happened in a long time. I am usually always fidgeting and there is nothing I can do about it. But now, I just feel calm. And happy.

Derek looks like he wants to say something, and he only lets Isaac sleep for ten more minutes before he is waking him up. "Isaac, I need to talk to Stiles for a minute. Can you go outside, and put in your earphones." Isaac nods and starts to get up but pauses. I stand too knowing what he wants, but is unwilling to ask for. I hug him, and it is just like every other time. When he pulls back there is a smile on his face. "Thanks for supper, and having us over."

"Anytime." He walks out the back of the house to the tree line and I see him put on the music. When I turn to Derek he is in my personal space. Not unusual. What is unusual is that he turns my head and starts to scent the other side of my neck. The one opposite Isaac has every time. This is completely different than when Isaac does it. His scruff rubs and scratches my skin, and his breath is hotter. When his arms wrap around my waist and pull me flush with his body, I am unsure how to react. But I do just like I did with Isaac. I hug him back and let him do what needs to be done. He is mumbling something into my neck. I can't hear it, but as he says it I can feel the tension that he has had in him all night start to recede. When he speaks loud enough for me to hear him I am shocked at the words. "Thank you for helping him." I just nod. I don't think I am capable of speech at the moment. "There will be others. I will turn others." I nod again. I know what he means by saying it. I know what he wants me to do. And I can't find it in myself to say no. I want to help. It's the least I can do.

He pulls away. I am not sure how long he was there for. The mask is in place when he pulls back, so I can't see how he is feeling, but I know there are warring emotions inside him. I hope he can work them out.

I finish cleaning up from our…, whatever that was. Put the leftovers in the fridge, and head up to my room. It is about time for me to hit the sack, when I get a call from Allison. We decided to stick to texting unless it was major. So I pick up without hesitation.

"My family is full of psychos!"

"Hello to you too. My night was great, thanks for asking."

"Sorry. It has just been a really rough night, and I am not even home yet."

"What happened?"

"My dad decided to start my training tonight."

"Okay?"

"He kidnapped me and then freaked me out making me think that he was bitten and about to turn and kill me. I know Derek would never do that. But the way it looked, well it looked real. And they even did this weird audio thing to make it sound like Derek's voice. And this all happened at the Hale house. As if enough stuff hasn't happened there already. Then he gave me the arrow I hit that hunter with, and got mad at me for helping, which was totally worth it by the way, and I had to use it to free myself from the ropes that he tied me up with. It was a test to see how long it would take me to escape. This is not how I wanted things to go. I know normal isn't an option for me anymore. I know that they only way for me to survive in this world and not be useless is to learn, but I think that he needs to find a better way of teaching."

She is out of breath when she finishes her rant and I don't blame her for feeling that way. I am pissed that the Hunters feel a right to traipse through the old Hale house like it is their property. Derek still owns it. Maybe there are ways we can set traps up to ward them off.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, he didn't hurt me, just freaked me out. And I needed to talk to someone about it."

"Why didn't you call Scott?"

"Because he would have freaked out and tried to rush over to my house to make sure I was okay. And I don't think that I can handle the coddling at this point."

"Oh."

"Is it okay that I called you?"

"Yes! I don't mind. I was just curious. I didn't think that I would have anyone but Scott turn to me when they are having issues. Now I have a bunch of people." That last bit slips out before I can keep it in.

"More people are turning to you? Derek?"

"Isaac, and maybe Derek." There is silence from her end of the line, and I know she is waiting for me to just say it. "They were over here for supper, and we watched a movie. No big deal."

"Derek was being domestic?"

"NO!" My eyes bulge out of my head. Or at least it feels like they do. "He didn't say anything the whole time he was here." Lie. Lie. Lie. Yes he did. But I am not going to share that with anyone right now.

"Hmmm."

I roll my eyes. "No, hmmmm, tell me."

"It's nothing really. Just interesting. He went from not talking to you to not talking to you but coming over for dinner."

"He was only there because Isaac was there. He is probably afraid of Isaac losing control or something." Even I don't believe it when I say it. But that is the most reasonable answer so it has to be true.

"Well whatever the reason, it seems like things might get better between you two."

"Maybe. I don't know."

There is a longer silence this time. I don't want to say anything more, and I am trying really hard not to over think anything. I think Allison can understand that. "Well I am about a block from home, so I should let you go. I will talk to you tomorrow at school."

We say our good byes, and I put the phone down, and change into my bed clothes. Which now consists of underwear, and Derek's shirt. It still smells like him, and after being scented by him, it makes my head light, but falling asleep is always so easy with his scent that close to me.

…

The next day in gym class, we are doing a rock wall. It is pretty awesome I have to say. Usually we end up running the track or doing some other sport. This is a bit more relaxed. I go on the wall with Erica. We have gone to school together about as long as me and Lydia have. But she has always kept more to herself. Some of that might have to do with the epilepsy. She used to get teased a lot when she was younger, and just last year when she had an attack in class someone recorded her and put it up online for everyone to see. That is one of the shittiest things that someone could do. Everyone knows she is very self-conscious about it. I make it up the wall and down again, but then I can see her start to freak out. It looks like she is about to have a panic attack. I don't even think about it. I am up the wall and right next to her in now time. The Coach is trying to talk her down, but she can't really hear him over the panic. I know what it's like. So I start very calmly, resting a hand over hers. "Erica. Look at me." She slowly turns her head tears starting in her eyes. "I need you to take my hand and we are going to kick off the wall and drop down. The rope will catch us. There is a mat underneath so we won't get hurt. Everything will be fine." She looks at me and slowly nods her head. I shift closer to her, and wrap one arm around her shoulders so she can grab the rope in both hands. "On the count of three. Ready, one… two… three." We slowly kick off the wall and drop down a few feet at a time. When we reach the bottom, we unhook from the harness, and I walk with her back to the locker rooms, with an arm still on her shoulder. Allison isn't far behind, Lydia either, but I don't think that it is for the same reasons. When we get to the girl's locker room I hand her off the Allison and she says that she will make sure she is alright. Then Scott pulls me off to the boy's locker room. "Dude, how did you know to do that?"

"I saw the panic attack start to happen. I told you that I used to get them. She was fifteen feet in the air. That would be so much worse that having one on the ground." Then when the other guys come in I pull away a bit. Not really wanting to talk about it. The overprotective urge came over me again, and this time it wasn't even a wolf I was doing it for.

Before we can all leave, Coach comes in and says if any of us have seen Isaac that we are supposed to tell a teacher or call him. I do my best not to scoff, but then Scott looks at me hard. I was wondering when he might pick up that I have been scented. I don't say anything and just continue getting dressed. Then he does come up to me and wants to cancel the plans we have laid out for tonight. We are getting the keys for the ice rink and having a 'double date.' Scott's words not mine. He still thinks I am in love with Lydia, and I am quite happy to let him believe that for now. My 'Big Gay Crush' is still not something that I am willing to share with anyone more than Allison. And I am pretty sure she knows it's more than a crush.

So I play up all the talk to Scott saying about how I want to have sex in various positions, and much more. But then he stops listening to me and his hand starts shaking. He runs off to the gym and gets there right in time to catch Erica as she falls. She made it almost all the way up the wall without a harness, totally badass, but then she started to have a seizure. I pull out my phone and dial 911. Scott, Allison and I stay with her until the ambulance gets there and takes her to the hospital. I am kinda freaked out, but I am just glad that Scott was there in time to save her. I think the only thing worse than having to witness all of that is that there is still a whole day to get through before I can leave school. This was only first period.

Today is just not a good day in general. I had such a great night, but today sucks. Then I see Jackson accost Lydia in the hallway and I want to deck him right now. But All I can do is approach her as he leaves. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She is shaking a bit and there are tears collecting at her eyes. When she looks at me, it's like the way she looked at me at the dance. I just pull her into a hug and she doesn't fight it. She doesn't hug me back, but she does rest her head on my chest while she cries. The bell rings and she pulls away. "Thanks." It sounds so unlike Lydia. She walks away before I can say anything else. I know she isn't going to get over it that quickly. She still loves him, even if he is an asshole.

…

At lunch I take a seat across from Boyd. And nod to him. "You got the keys?" he holds them out, but when I go to take them, he doesn't let them go.

"This isn't a favor. It's a transaction."

"Right, yeah. Absolutely."

I take money out of my pocket, and slap it on the table. "I said fifty."

"Really? I…I remember twenty. I don't know. I have a really good memory. And I remember twenty. I remember that distinctive 'twa' sound. 'Twa-enty'." A guy can try to bargain.

"I said fifty. With a 'fa' sound. Hear the difference? If you can't, I can demonstrate some other words with the 'fa' sound. "

"No, no, no. I think I'm recalling it now. Maybe I just got it confused with forty." I put another twenty bucks on the table. He isn't relenting. So I just slip the other ten bucks on the table and then he smiles and hands the keys back to me. I take them this time, and go sit by Scott. But he is distracted. And I can see why. Erica's back from the hospital. But she doesn't look like Erica. She is wearing pretty revealing clothing, her hair is actually done, and looks professional, and she is wearing way too much makeup. But it all only goes to accentuate her natural beauty. They vibe I am getting from her and from Scott says that she is a wolf now. Derek said there would be more, but I am still a bit blind sighted by it.

When she leaves we get up and follow. And we end up following her outside to the parking lot, where she gets into Derek's car. I am happy that Derek is expanding his pack and helping out people who could actually use it, Erica- epilepsy, Isaac- abuse. But there is still a part of me that is jealous. Why won't he ask me if I want the bite? Why go to all these people he doesn't know when he could ask me. If it was him who asked I am pretty sure I would say yes.

Scott is mad too, but for different reasons. And when he can sense my agitation he kind of goes off on me. "Why are you so angry? You probably knew this was coming. You smell so heavily of Isaac and Derek. Why are you hanging out with them so much, letting them hang all over you? When are you going to get the bite?"

I can't even talk to him right now. I can't even deal with the rest of this day. I decide I have had enough. I skip school and just head to the cemetery. I spend a few hours there talking to mom. Saying things out loud that I wouldn't say to anyone else. Then the three words come out of my mouth before I even know they were true. "I love Derek." I start to freak out. But the more I think about it. The more I know it to be true. I don't know how or why it happened, but I fell in love with him. It feels so much different than what I felt for Lydia. I don't even know where to start. I don't think I want to. This is for me and for mom. No one else has to know. No one else will know. I stop the pacing I was doing before, and sit down on the grass leaning against her headstone. "I love him mom, and I am so scared because he lives this life that I will never be able to keep up with. I try so hard. And I do if for Scott as much as I do it for him. But the feelings are still there. And they won't go away. I can't tell him because he would just laugh at me. He would look at me and feel pity. I can't take the pity anymore. It isn't something I can deal with again. But I love him…" I fade into silence and I by the time I decide it's time to leave it is getting dark and I have to go to the ice rink on this stupid double date thing. But now I can do it to make sure Lydia's okay. I am just going to ignore Scott for now. He doesn't know anything because he doesn't ask. He is more worried about his own shit and Allison that he doesn't really see me anymore. And that's fine I guess. People move on. Its' a thing, and it happens. I'll be okay. Eventually.

…

They are all there waiting for me. I am a few minutes late, but I don't apologize. Allison sends me a worried look, but doesn't say anything I know she will try to ask me later. Lydia and I pull away from Scott and Allison when we go to put our skates on. "Could it be any colder in here?" I want to give her a look, ice rink? But instead I reach in my bag and pull out an orange hoodie. I don't wear it often. Normally when I go for a late night run. "I'm wearing blue. Orange and blue, not a good combination."

"Actually they work well together. They are opposite on the color wheel. They are often used together. Maybe not this bright of an orange with the dark of your blue, but it still works. Plus it's just the four of us here. No one will see you." She just gives me a look but does accept the hoodie regardless. Then I dig a Reese's out of my bag and hand it over to her. She stares at it for a minute but does grab it and start eating. "So maybe orange and blue aren't that good of a combo. But sometimes things that you think wouldn't work together actually can. It can be the perfect combination. Two people together who nobody ever thought would be together, ever." I am staring at my skates the whole time. I don't know why I said that, but I felt the need to defend it. Even if it is something that she knows nothing about.

"Who are you in love with?" I quickly look up to meet her eyes, and they are closed slightly in thought. "I know it isn't me. Not anymore. So who?"

"I… uh- I…" I don't know what to say. She caught me so off guard with this. I close my eyes, and shake my head. I don't want to lie, but I can't tell her the truth. I can't tell anyone. "No one. I am not in love with anyone right now."

"I know you're lying. And I know you will tell me eventually. But for now I suppose we can just try and have fun."

"Um, yeah… Sure."

She rolls her eyes at me. "I know I have not been the nicest person in the world to you. But I want to make up for it. You were pretty amazing at the dance with me. You let me go off to look for… You didn't try to control me. You saw me for me. And no one else at that school has been able to see through my tightly guarded defenses. So, bravo. Now I believe this is supposed to be a 'double date', but we are just sitting here while they are have all the fun." And just like that, Lydia is now a friend. I am pretty happy. Not for the reasons I would have been six months ago, but I am happy all the same.

It really shouldn't surprise me that Lydia is like a pro. She is good at everything she puts her mind to. We do end up skating hand in hand but it is more for the fun of it than anything. When I see her bend down and pick something off the floor and then skate slowly over the ice I start to get worried. Then she is bent over and starting at something that isn't there and she is screaming. I am trying to pull her away from the ice but I can't. Allison says she will take her home. I am pretty worried, but there isn't really anything I can do.

…

The next day in school I sit down with Scott at lunch but I am not talking to him. But then I notice that Boyd is missing. He sits at the same table every day. Scott notices when I look over there and he wants to rush off to check the ice rink and wants me to check his house. I don't really want to. Derek would give them the choice. I asked Isaac about Erica last night, and about himself. He said that Derek told them everything. The risks, the full moons, the hunters, what it means to be pack, he even told them about what happened to him. Something I don't think he has shared with anyone. If they know the risks and they still want the bite after all that, well then I think that they should get it. What I defiantly don't say is that if he asked me I would take it. Scott already thinks I am going to get it. I don't say anything though. I am going to try and find Boyd, just to make sure that he got all the information like the others did.

So that is how I find myself at Boyd's house. When I don't get an answer on the door I turn to leave. He must be at the rink. But I don't get more than one step before Erica is there. "Hey Stiles. What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know looking for Boyd."

"Oh, really why is that?" she moves up into my personal space. This feels so different than when Derek does it. But I don't recoil away. Then she takes one whiff of my shoulder and steps away. She has her head down, and I can almost see the girl I helped off of the rock wall yesterday. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I wasn't supposed to do that."

"Do what?"

"Scent you."

"Who said not to?"

She finally looks up at me. "Who do you think?" 

I take a deep breath and sigh. "Derek?"

She just nods her head, "I did want to thank you though."

"For what?"

She gives me the new Erica bitch glare for a moment, and then she realizes what she is doing and stops. "For helping me. No one has done that before. Not like that."

"Anytime." Now I feel the need to protect her again. I grab her and pull her into a hug. And just like Isaac she gets her head in the left crook of my neck, and starts scenting. She stops for a second. "It's okay, I don't mind." It takes her a second, but she continues. What the hell is going on with Derek's wolves? Is he starving them that much for attention that they have to turn to me?

She finally back up and takes my hand. "Come on. Scott is going to get his ass kicked if we don't get to the ice rink."

"Why do you care what happens to Scott?"

"I don't, but you do." She says it like it is the simplest thing in the world. We get back in my jeep and head for the ice rink.

We get there just as Scott starts to confront Boyd. Derek and Isaac are there too and as soon as I am in the door Isaac steps forward but stops himself. Derek must have told them both not to scent me. Before Isaac can protest I step forward and wrap him in a hug pulling his head down to my neck staring Derek in the eyes the whole time in silent protest. _If they want to scent me then you are not going to stop them. I don't mind, and neither should you._

Isaac makes this happy growling sound and Erica giggles a little. After I am sure Isaac is okay, I let him go. Then in an act of boldness I step over to Derek. My arms are loose at my sides and my head is tilted a bit to left leaving the right side of my neck visible and slightly on display, but the intent is clear. His eyes go that bright shade of amethyst but doesn't move toward me. I can tell he wants to, he is fighting his instinct. But he does send a glare at me. The mask is in place so I can't see the meaning behind it, but it is meant to show anger. Instead of reacting I just walk over to Isaac and Erica. Take their hands and go to find Scott on the ice. When Scott makes the comment about finding better friends than Derek, I am a bit hurt. I want Derek for a friend. Well more than that. But Scott honestly doesn't like him. The beta's drop my hands and move to stand in front of me a bit. Half blocking Scott's view of me.

"That really hurt, Scott. I mean, if you're going to review me, at least take a consensus." But I don't want this to be a fight. I don't want them to fight. I push past Erica and Isaac, and step a bit past Derek.

"Really, this is the route you guys are going to take? All of the shit that the three of us went through the last couple of months. This is how you want to play things out?"

"He betrayed us. He went to Peter's side."

"No he didn't. " Derek is looking at me almost imploring me not to say what needs to be said. "He came to me that night. After I took you home. He came to me and he told me that he wasn't with Peter. It was so hard for him to admit that. Do you know why Scott? Do you know why he was on the verge of a break down?" Silence. "No you don't. You didn't stop to think that he had just figured out earlier that night, that he would have to kill his only remaining family member. Did you ever stop to think about that?" More silence. "No you didn't. You just keep blaming him for something that was so far out of his control. You blame him almost as much as he blames himself." At that last statement, my eyes turn from Scott to Derek. The mask is gone and the look of vulnerability on his face tells it all. Then I turn back to Scott.

"If they are making the choice, and they are, then it is their decision. Derek is telling them all of the risks. All of them. This is more than some power play. You would know that if you would talk to me more. I have done so much research. I have read so much information that it could make your head spin." I should stop there. But all of this stuff in my head, it's been tearing at me to say it out loud. To tell Scott how I have been feeling. "The reason I smell like them, it's because they are scenting me. They see me as part of their pack. They want to make sure other wolves know that I am under their protection. I know that you do with Allison. I asked her. But you don't do it with me. I must not be part of your pack. And you know what? If you are going to act like this then I don't want to be." The hurt look that crosses his face almost has me taking it back. But I don't. "Isaac knew me for all of five minutes and he did it. Erica, well it took her a little longer, but she has too." Scott looks from me to Derek. I don't say that he did it to, but only because it felt different. "They want me around. They want me to be there. So I am going to be. I helped you through your first three full moons. If I can handle you then I can sure as hell help them."

Scott starts to say something but I hold up a hand, "I don't want to hear whatever it is you have to say right now. I am really pissed off at you. You haven't even stopped to notice how all of this shit is affecting me. You are a fucking werewolf. You can heal faster that I can. You have the senses that are enhanced, not me. I'm human. But I have been there for you through all of it. I have dealt with everything you have. Helped you out, even when you didn't ask for it. But you just think that you can keep apologizing and that everything will be okay. Well not this time. We are still best friends. Brothers. But right now I need space."

I start to walk away and before I even make it off the ice, Isaac and Erica are latched onto each side of me both of them have a hand in mine. I can hear two more sets of footsteps behind us, but I know that neither of them are Scott's. As soon as we get outside Derek tells his three betas to head toward the parking lot. As soon as they are on their way I brace myself for the verbal onslaught that I am sure is coming. Instead Derek grabs me by my red hoodie and pulls me into the shadow of the building, and pushes me up against the wall. When his lips touch mine they are rough, but full of passion and emotion. I am so unprepared for this, at first I flail a bit, but then my hands find the back of his leather jacket and I am griping it so hard. I am trying to hold him there while I kiss back. I feel fireworks go off all over my body, and it is like fire racing through my veins. He pulls away and pushes the collar of my shirt away and starts kissing my neck. He starts scenting me again, but this time there is so much more behind it. My eyes are blown wide and I know he can feel how aroused I am, hell I can feel him too. And that is a whole other line of thought that is filed away for later. By the time he pulls away and my eyes are open, he is gone. I slide down the wall to sit on the ground, and my hand comes up to my neck. I am pretty sure that I am going to have a hickey there tomorrow, but I can't seem to muster up the energy to care. Derek Hale kissed me. Derek Hale kissed me…


	4. Chapter 4

The next day I take my baby into the local garage to get a tune up. And the mechanic is over charging me. Nothing new there. What is new though is the feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I think of Derek. It's new because he kissed me. He is the one who initiated the kiss. He is the kisser and I was the kissy. I know I sound like a thirteen year old girl, but I didn't think that I stood a chance with him. And now come to find out, I do. Maybe, kinda, I don't even know.

Only Lydia noticed the hickey today. I tried to keep it covered, but I think she might be psychic or something. Not sure. But Scott did apologize to me today, and he said that I could take as much space as I needed. Allison talked to me too and told me how much Scott is torn up about what happened. He knows he has been a bad friend lately, and he really wants to make up for it. I want to just forgive him, but I am still not over it yet. He has to be sorry for all of it, not just the way he treated me, but also for the way he treated Derek.

Erica and Boyd weren't in school today either so I don't know what is going on but when I texted Isaac at lunch he said everything was cool, and Derek just wanted them around for, and I quote, 'pack bonding'. I am not sure what this entails, Isaac wouldn't spill either. But at least Derek is taking responsibility for them. I knew he would.

As I put my hand on the door handle, I feel this really gross slime. I wipe it off on my hoodie, and continue into the waiting room. I go to text Isaac while I wait but when I start to try and send the text my fingers stop moving. I can't even feel them. Then my hands start to shake and the phone falls out of my hand. I look up through the window, and there is something crawling on the side of my jeep. I try to call out a warning, but my voice doesn't carry loud enough. This must me the thing that Scott and Allison saw at Isaac's place.

The giant lizard swipes at the mechanic as I fall over. I try to scoot forward on the floor so I can reach my phone. I am trying to dial 911, but I can barely make my hands move. The lift is going to come down and kill the mechanic, and all I can do is close my eyes, and try not to hear the screams. Somehow I manage to finish dialing, but then the lizard is in my face and hissing at me. After it hears the phone pick up it darts away. And I can't talk to respond to the call. But about ten minutes later I hear the sirens and I start to relax.

When the first cops get there I am standing outside. The paralyzing effect started to wear off right after the dispatcher told me that they were on their way. By the time my dad gets there I am sitting in the back of the ambulance. I text Isaac to see if he could get Derek to come and pick me up. There is stuff I have to tell them. I don't say that I was attacked. I don't want them to rush here. But now I have to deal with my father. Lies, lies, and more lies. I hate it. "I told you, I just, walked in, and I saw the jeep on top of the guy. That's all."

"What's with your hand?" It was still tingling from the remnants of the paralysis.

"Nothing. Can I just get out of here now?"

"Look, if there's something you don't think you can tell me…"

"You think I'm lying?" Yes he does. Because I basically told him I was not that long ago. And he hasn't asked me too many questions since then. But then I haven't really been directly involved like I am this time.

"I'm just worried about you." I was already riding the guilt train, and I think I'll stay on for a few more stops.

"I didn't see anything. At all. Can I go now please?"

"Yeah, but your jeep has to stay here. I'm gonna have to impound it. Sorry, kid, evidence."

I knew that was coming, that is why I asked for a ride. Speaking of… I get a text telling me that they are around the corner. So I head off. Boyd gets out of the front seat and pulls forward the seat so I can get in the back. And as soon as I am back there Isaac has an arm around my shoulder and I am being squished between him and Erica. Derek has his eyes on me through the rearview mirror. I can't tell what they look like though because he has glasses on, even though it is like ten o'clock at night. Boyd gets back in and Derek takes off. The silence in the car lasts for a few minutes. Then I notice them all sniffing the air in my general direction. I roll my eyes. "I'm okay. Sorry to have to ask you to get me, but I didn't have anyone else. Scott and I still aren't really talking." I pause for moment trying to collect my thoughts and say what needs to be said. "So I guess you want to know what I wanted to talk to you about. That lizard thing that Scott and Allison saw, well I seen it tonight. I think it has some kind of paralyzing toxin. It left some on the door handle, and I touched it. But when he scratched the mechanic he fell instantly. So it probably spreads faster through the blood stream. Then it lowered the lift that had my jeep on it, over the guy and killed him…"

Throughout my whole spiel, Isaac held me a bit tighter, Erica takes my hand and they both start sniffing at me, I think they are trying to see if I was injured or not. Boyd doesn't react too much besides turning to look at me, but Derek, he speeds up and then comes to an abrupt stop at my house. They all get out and I am pulled along with Isaac. I am herded to the front door. Derek is in first and I can tell he is looking for danger. Isaac and Erica are with me, and Boyd is bringing up the rear. I am directed to the couch, but the two wolves never leave my side. Derek takes the same chair he sat in last time, and Boyd stands in the doorway.

"What did it look like?" Derek's glasses are off and he is looking at me with those purple eyes. And I just want to go over to him and kiss him again. But I don't think that he would appreciate that.

"It has scales, and its eyes were defiantly reptilian. But there was something about them."

"What do you mean?"

I am not sure how to describe it. "You know when you see, like, a friend in a Halloween mask, but all you can actually see are their eyes, and you feel like you know them, but you just can't figure it out who it is?"

"Are you saying you know who it is?"

"No. But I think it knew me." Derek's growl throws me off a bit, but I am calm. Isaac is scenting me again, and Erica is almost curled up on my other side. I feel safe. Safer than I have all night.

They have to leave soon after that, because I know my father will be home soon. I can tell none of them want to, but I reassure them that I am okay, and that whatever it was isn't after me. It could have killed me and it didn't.

I am glad that today was a Friday night, because now I don't have to sleep, I can research. And Isaac said that they would be training tomorrow and I wanted to go and check it out.

…

So training isn't as much fun as it looks. I didn't know what it would consist of, but Derek constantly slamming Isaac to the ground isn't what I predicted. He does it about ten times. Before he finally says something. "Does anyone want to try something not being completely predictable?" I only wait a second before I leave the doorway of the train. I have had a baseball bat in my hand the entire time, mostly just playing with it, but I brought in the hopes of getting in some training myself. I don't swing too hard, but I do manage to tap his shoulder before he has the bat yanked out of my hand and pulled me to him with both of my hands laid flat against his chest. The hand not holding the bat is curled around my waist. And then almost as fast as it happened he is ten feet away from me and throwing the bat back at me. "Nice try, but sneaking on a wolf, doesn't work. Our hearing is better and I heard you heart rate increase the second you made the decision to go for it." He looks back to his betas. "With you guys it has to be more about sensing where your opponent will strike next." Then he looks back to me. "With a human, try to be deceptive in your movement. Give the wolf a false sense of where you are going to strike."

"Well that would work, if I knew what I was going to do before I do it."

"You have to think about this stuff. It is important."

"Are we done?" Isaac asks in a hesitant voice, but obviously filled with some frustration from being unsuccessful so many times. "Cause I have about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal." Derek steps forward and at first I thought he was going to help Isaac up. Instead he takes Isaacs arm and breaks it. I rush forward pushing Derek off of him. But he doesn't budge.

"Hundred and one. You think I'm teaching you how to fight. Huh? I'm teaching you how to survive!" Derek finally lets go and moves back, but I am right there to take his place. I lightly grab his arm and try to make sure that it is in the right placement to heal. Then I turn to him. Fury blatant in my expression.

"How dare you! I know you are trying to teach them, but deliberately breaking his arm, not in training, but tricking him into thinking you care that he is hurt, is NOT okay! Pain should never be punishment! Never!"

"They need to know everything I know."

"That doesn't explain anything! They are still people. They are not soldiers to fight in some war. Don't make what I said about you to Scott be wrong. You are not a monster. Don't be one."

He looks kind of defeated, and a bit angry. "I am trying to teach them, as fast as I can." The anger goes out of his eyes a bit and he retreats into the train car. I turn back to Isaac.

"You okay?"

"Yeah it already started healing. Plus it helps to jumpstart the healing process. I'll be fine. Don't worry." I can see some of the fear in his eyes, but I don't think that it's all from Derek. Mostly just what Derek did. Erica and Boyd decide to leave for the day and I ask Isaac to go put music in, I need to talk to Derek without the others overhearing. After I am sure Isaac is set, I storm into Derek's makeshift room. I am all ready to yell at him, but the look of defeat on his face strips away any anger I might have had. I think I surprised him, because as soon as he sees me, his mask goes up.

"No, nu-uh. That is going to happen this time. No putting up walls. Talk. I know that you don't like to. I know you like to keep it all in, but take it from a guy who knows, it never works." The mask slips a bit. I move over to sit next to him on the bed. This is so much like what happened when he came to tell me about Peter. I sit close enough for our shoulders and our legs to touch. When he grabs for my hand I am a bit taken aback, but I squeeze it all the same. "I'm not mad anymore. But you have to realize what Isaac went through. His father beat him. I know that is why you helped him I know that is why he was offered the bite. And he deserves happy. But you can't revert to anger with him. With any of them. They need to feel like they belong and that you care about them. Don't push them away."

"You don't think I know that. I feel like shit right now. I can't believe I just did that to him."

He sounds so broken. I take my free hand and lift it to his face making him look up at me, while brushing my thumb against his cheek. I can see the pain in his eyes. The same pain that was there the last time we talked like this. I want to help him. I want to make that main go away. "Okay, you know what not to do then. I know this is hard for you. Believe me I know. But you have to stop blaming yourself too. It was never your fault." He tenses under my hand and pulls back before I can grasp him tighter.

"You don't know what you are talking about." His voice is hoarse, and he moves to stand by the wall, and has his back to me. This is also the second time this has happened. He trusts me. Maybe more.

"I think I know well enough… You loved her. You loved her and she used you to get to your family. And you blame yourse-" I never get the rest of the words out. He has me pinned to the wall, and this time I can't miss the anger.

"It was my fault." His eyes bleed purple. "I let her in, I trusted her. I told her things. I got them killed. It was me. And it is something that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life." He pulls back and lets me go. "I think you should leave now. Training is done for the day. Maybe you should just stay away. I don't want them to hurt you." He turns his back in a clear dismissal. I want to say more, but I know that he won't be receptive of it. So I leave. I stop in and say goodbye to Isaac before I go. He gives me a hug and a quick nuzzle. I check his arm, which is already healed. And then I go home. Hopefully between research and homework I can fill up the rest of my weekend. When Scott calls on Sunday, I can't stay mad at him. So I tell him I'll pick him up for school but he has to buy me breakfast.

…

When Scott gets in the jeep Monday I tell him, that he has to be sorry for not just the way he has treated me, but also for the way he has treated Derek. At first I think he is going to say no, but he does. He says that he will apologize to Derek. And that makes me feel better because I can tell when Scott is being genuine. And he does mean it.

Then I become messenger for him and Allison. What can I say, I am a sucker for romance. But ewe. There are just some things I don't need to know about.

"I'm so sorry about the other day. I'm trying. We'll get through this. I know because I love you. I love you more than… oh, my God! I can't… you and Allison just have to find a better way to communicate."

"Come on, you're the only one that we can trust. Is she coming to the game tonight?"

"Yes, okay? Message complete. All right, now tell me about your boss." Scott had mentioned earlier about how it was Dr. D who helped him after Derek go captured, and they must have had a talk since then.

"He thinks that Allison's family keeps some kind of records of all the things that they've hunted. Like a book."

"He probably means a bestiary."

"A what?"

"A bestiary."

"I think you mean bestiality." He is laughing. Like I don't know what I am talking about…

"Nope, pretty sure I don't. It's like an encyclopedia of mythical creatures."

"How am I the only one who doesn't seem to know anything about this stuff?"

"You're my best friend, you're a creature of the night, it's kind of like a priority of mine." I don't say because you won't listen to me when I tell you stuff. But I don't. Forgiveness right?

"Okay. If we can find it, and it can tell us what this thing is…"

"And who."

"We need that book." We say it at the same time.

I text Allison, about this using our code, and she says that Gerard has a book like that. He probably keeps it in his office, and that we will need his keys for it. She has a plan to get them so hopefully we should have the book today.

The plan is for her to get the keys, and hand them off to me. And I am going to search his office.

The plan works and I am heading off to find the book, but I notice Lydia in her car crying. "Hey, Lydia what's wrong?" she rolls up her window. I have to go, but I can't leave her here like this. "Lydia, come…"

"Just go away."

"What's wrong?"

"Look, I don't need anyone seeing me cry."

"Oh, come on Lydia. Look you shouldn't care if people see you cry, all right? Especially you."

"Why?"

"Because I think you look really beautiful when you cry." That gets her to calm down, and roll the window back down."

"You're gonna think I'm crazy."

"Lydia, if you trust me on anything, you can trust me on this. There is nothing that you can say to me that will make you sound crazy. Literally nothing." That is the moment I know that I am going to tell her everything that has been going on. She does have a right to know after all. Then I hear the crowd scream, and I remember what I am supposed to be doing. "If you come with me I will listen to whatever you want to say. And I will tell you things I probably shouldn't."

"Like who gave you that hickey?" I sigh, and I am not sure I can.

"Maybe, but if you come with me, I can give you answers to a lot of things that have been going on around here lately." I open her door and hold my hand out to her. She looks hesitant for a second, but then takes it. We head into the school and go to Gerard's office.

"What are you doing exactly?"

"I am looking for a leather-bound book. I can't tell you why just yet, but I promise that after the game tonight I will tell you everything. I won't hide anything from you." There is a moment of hesitation again, but then she comes into the office and starts looking with me. When I don't find anything, I text Allison and tell her. Then Erica is there. "Hello Stiles." She is showing her confidence and then she is pulling me and Lydia off down the hallway. I can tell her grip is lighter on me than it is on Lydia, but I don't say anything. There is only one reason she would do this.

And when we get to the pool there he is. "Stiles."

"Derek." I am not sure how to react here. He told me to stay away. So I did.

"I need you to tell me what you saw at the garage again."

I am getting really tired of this hot and cold. Lydia grabbed one of my hands and is holding on tightly. I know she is afraid, but they won't hurt us. "Several alarming EPA violations that I'm seriously considering reporting." Then Lydia is grabbing my arm with her other hand and Derek kills the basketball he was holding. Just sunk his claws right into it. This possessive bullshit has got to stop. I don't even know where he is coming from anymore.

"Let's try that again." There is an edge of anger in his voice, but he keeps it pretty calm.

"I already told you. It was slick looking, skin was dark, patterned like scales. Okay, now if you don't mind, Lydia can leave?" Derek just glares at me. "Fine, Eyes. Eyes are yellowish and slitted. It has a lot of teeth. And it has a tail." That is when I notice Derek and Erica looking up. I glance up and see it climbing the railing of the stairs above us. Lydia looks up too but I put a hand over her mouth, and she doesn't scream like I thought she would, but she is trembling. I speak very calmly. "Erica, move slowly, but get Lydia out of here. Lydia, she won't hurt you, go to your car and wait for us there."

Erica moves and grabs Lydia half carrying her out the door and I shift closer to Derek. Then when he turns his back to tell me to run it slashes him, and I know what is about to happen. I grab him as he is about to fall, and I run with him across the pool. "Quick call Scott." I go for my phone but it falls and as I bend over to get it Derek falls behind me and lands in the pool. With no hesitation, I dive in and grab him pulling us both to the surface. I wrap his arm around my shoulder and start treading water. When I get my bearings a little, I look around to try and find the giant Lizard. But he is nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd it go? Where is it, do you see it?"

"No." He is panting and I am trying my best to keep my grip on him and keep us both above water.

"Okay, maybe he took off." There is loud screeching noise.

"Maybe not." I wait a few minutes to see if it is going to come out of its hiding spot. "Will you get me out of here before I drown?"

"You're worried about drowning? Did you notice the giant thing out there with multiple rows of razor-sharp teeth?"

"Did you notice I am paralyzed from the neck down in eight feet of water?" His voice goes from talking to yelling at the end.

"Yes, I am the one keeping you above water if you hadn't stopped to notice." I turn my head around to try and see it. "I don't see it." I start to swim awkwardly to the side of the pool.

"Wait, wait, wait. Stiles stop." I start treading water in place again.

"What's it waiting for?" it just starts circling the pool. Then it goes to touch the water, and recoils as soon as it touches. "Did you see that? I don't think it can swim." That doesn't really help us at all though. I am not sure how long we are in the pool for but I know it has been at least half an hour. "So, how's it going?"

"Really, you want to make small talk right now?"

"If I don't I might just have a panic attack and then we are both going to drown. So if you have any better ideas sourwolf, I would love to hear them." He grumbles at the nickname that I have given him, but doesn't say anything. "So… how's it going?"

He growls, "Well besides being paralyzed stuck in a pool, relying on someone else to keep me alive while a crazy lizard stalks us, I would say I am just fine." The 'fine' comes out dripping in sarcasm.

"Well if you are going to be like that, I can bring up a few things I have been meaning to talk to you about. Like, why in the hell are you living in an abandoned train station!? It is not healthy Derek. Not for you and not for Isaac."

"That is none of your business."

"Oh, I think it is. You see how Isaac, and even Erica, acts around me. I have done my research and I was right when I told Scott about them scenting, wasn't I?" He doesn't say anything. "Even you have scented me. You even went a step further and marked me. What was that about? Not that I am complaining by the way." I try to keep the tremble out of my voice and hope he doesn't pick up on it.

"For that I am sorry."

"Why? You still aren't saying why."

"The way you tried to make Isaac feel better after all the crap he went through, and watching you defend not only me but my pack to Scott, well…"

"Well, what?"

"My instincts took over. I couldn't help myself."

"Why would your instincts tell you to do that?"

"Stiles, can we not talk about this right now."

"No, I think this is a perfect time. You can't go anywhere and you can't force me away. You are stuck. So answer the question." He growls really low, low enough that it ripples the water around us even more that we are by just trying to stay afloat. He says something really quite and I can't even hear it. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over your mumbley brooding."

He sighs, "My wolf sees you as a potential mate."

"Mate!?"

"Yes. Now can we drop it?" This time I don't argue. My heart is thudding in my chest, and I am pretty sure that it is about to explode out. I turn my face away from him and try to focus on anything else. I have read about mates in that book. And werewolves take it very seriously. But this is too much information to process right now. So I let the silence stretch between us for a bit before diving back into my questions, and making sure to steer clear of the potentially embarrassing ones that are currently bouncing around my head.

"Why are you living in that broken down place?"

He doesn't answer at first. I am getting used to this though, so I try to calmly await his response. "Because."

"Because why Derek? Can't you afford a house or at least an apartment?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you live in one?" He doesn't say anything, but I am looking at him again and I can see the sadness in his eyes again. "You don't think you deserve it do you?" he just scowls. "You don't. Derek, you have been through Hell and back. You are still in one piece, and you are making a pack. You have learned from your past mistakes. What more do you have to go through before you think you deserve to be happy?"

"I will never deserve to be happy. Never. I don't know how you figured it out, but after what I've done, how could I deserve happiness."

"Derek, she used you. She manipulated you. It is all her fault. She is the one. Not you. Never you."

"Oh really, well if we are going to talk about things that aren't our fault, then how about your mom, if she really died of cancer, then how could that be your fault. That was something so unbelievably out of your control." And my heart stops for a second. I can feel the missed beat.

"How… How do you know I blame myself for that?"

"I-" He cuts himself off. "I have been by your house. At night. Back when Peter was still at large. I didn't want him to hurt you, and you were in the thick of it. You…you talk in your sleep."

I don't know what to say. There is so much bouncing around in my head right now. He not only trusts me, but he cares about me. His wolf thinks I would be a good mate. I don't know what to do with all of this information. So I just push it aside and I will deal with it later. That is about the only thing I can do. "That is all beside the point. You shouldn't live in a decrepit building. Get an apartment. If not for you than for Isaac. He needs some form of stability."

"I know." Derek bites out the words. I feel kind of bad for bringing it up, but it was the only time I could, and get away with it. We stay in silence for a while longer. I don't want to say anything more, and Derek isn't exactly Mr. Talkative. But I can feel my legs burning and my shoulders ache. "I don't think I can do this much longer. It has been a couple hours at least. I see my phone and I think about going for it. But Derek sees what I am planning. 

"No, no, no! Don't even think about it."

"Could you just trust me this once?"

"No!"

"I'm the one keeping you alive, okay? Have you noticed that?"

"Yeah, and when the paralysis wears off, who's gonna be able to fight that thing, you or me?"

"That's why I have been holding you up for the last two hours."

"Yup. You don't trust me. I don't trust you. But you need me to survive, which is why you're not letting me go."

"I do trust you."

"What?"

"I trust you. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't. I wouldn't have defended you and your pack to Scott if I didn't. All those times, that Scott got you into trouble after the school, I was the one defending you. I trust you. I'm sorry you don't trust me, but there isn't much I can do about that. If I haven't proved myself by now, then I don't know what else to do." I shift myself around his body so I am grabbing him from the back with. His back to my chest. My arms are starting to give out and I need to start alternating them. He is silent and I am actually glad for once. It hurts to hear him say he doesn't trust me. I know it can't be true, but it hurts all the same. After what seems like an eternity but can only be twenty minutes, I am having a really hard time treading water and hold him. But I won't let him drop. "I can't stay up any longer. I need something to hold on to." We dip below the water a few times, before I see the diving platforms at the end of the pool. There are handles there. If only I can reach them. I grab Derek around his chest keeping him on his back so he can breathe and start swimming to the handle. It is a slow process. I get there and my hand slips, but somehow I manage to stay up. I grab it again, and this time I hold. But I am not sure how long this will last. It is stretching my arm a lot. And my fingers start to go numb almost instantly. But then Scott is there and he is attacking the Lizard thing. So I push Derek up on to the side of the pool and once I have him up, I pull myself up. I lay next to him breathing hard and taking a minute to catch my breath. Scott is thrown into a mirror and holds a piece of the glass like a weapon. Why I don't know, but then the lizard is gone and the paralysis is starting to wear off. He pulls himself into a sitting position, and eventually stands up.

Scott tells us that he found what he thinks is the bestiary; it is a flash drive on the keys. So we get outside, and as soon as we are out the door, Lydia and Erica run toward us. Erica with her enhanced speed reaches me first, and engulfs me in a hug and starts to scent me. Lydia looks confused, but hides it almost immediately. She knows I am going to keep my word to her. Scott on the other hand openly scoffs and walks toward my jeep to get my laptop out of it. And Derek, well he scowls, and follows after Scott. When he draws level with us, I can hear him mutter something, but it is indistinct to me. Erica obviously hears it and starts to back off of me and falls into place behind him.

As I approach Lydia I can tell she is about to ask me a bunch of questions. "Lyds, if we could just wait like five more minutes, we think we found what we were looking for. Then I will talk to you until you can't stand my voice anymore. Promise." This satisfies her for now, but she does follow me. By the time I get to my jeep Scott is opening up my laptop and starting it up. I go and grab two towels from my lacrosse bag and throw one at Derek. I dry myself a little and then go over to take over my computer.

When I pull up the only document on the flash drive, it looks like a PDF document. I open it and it looks like a book. "Is that even a language?"

"It's archaic Latin." It doesn't really surprise me that Lydia knows this.

"It doesn't matter, I know what it is. It's called a kanima." Derek is just standing there.

"You knew the whole time?" There is another stab of hurt there. If he knew the whole time we were in the pool and didn't tell me… well that would hurt.

"No, only when it was confused my its own refection." A small wave of relief goes through me. "It doesn't know what or who it is."

"What else do you know?" Now I want to know more.

"Just stories, rumors."

"But it's like us?" Asks Scott.

"It's a shape-shifter, yes. But it's not right. It's like a…"

"An abomination." Derek just nods at me. I don't know what else to do at this point. "We don't know anything about it."

"I can help out with that."

"Really? How can you help Lydia?"

"Stiles, I know how to read Archaic Latin."

"What…?" I just stare at her dumbfounded. 

"Regular Latin was boring." Only Lydia would think regular Latin is boring.

"So you can translate it?"

"Yeah, it won't happen all in one night, but I can translate the stuff about this Kanima? First. Then the rest later."

"Okay sounds like a plan. Oh, and Derek, I am going to tell Lydia everything. She has a right to know." Derek hesitates at first but just nods, and starts to walk off, Erica behind him. He stops but doesn't turn back.

"I do trust you Stiles." She shoots me a look that says sorry, but keeps walking. That makes me feel a lot better, I knew he did. But there is so much to do. Then I sigh and turn to the computer, making a copy of the bestiary onto my own flash drive, and then hand Gerard's keys back to Scott and tell him to put them on his Desk, and that I will see him tomorrow.

"Okay, now how about we go back to my house, so I can change into some dry clothes, and then we can have that talk."


	5. Chapter 5

The ride to Lydia's house was a silent one. I can tell Lydia is bursting with questions but she is holding them in. I don't know if it is because she wants a familiar environment to be in when she finds out everything, or because she doesn't know what to ask first. Either way, I am grateful. It is giving me time to psych myself up for telling her everything. There are parts that I know she will pick up on before I delve to deep, and others I hope she can just let them be.

When we do get to her house, there is no one home. "Where's your mom at?"

"She had a meeting outside of town yesterday and won't be back till late tomorrow."

"Lydia, you shouldn't be alone. Not with that thing running about."

"Okay before we get on to this 'Kanima' deal, I need you to tell me the other stuff."

I take a big sigh, "Well you see it started when Scott and I…" I tell her everything. From Scott being bitten, Allison's family being werewolf hunters, to when Peter bit her, and how he took me but let me call Jackson for her. I told her how Derek and Scott fought Peter, and how Derek couldn't bring himself to kill his only remaining relative. That Chris shot Peter but somehow Derek still became an Alpha, only with amethyst eyes rather than crimson. I told her that Derek has turned Isaac, Erica, and Boyd. And that Scott isn't part of Derek's pack, but somehow I am. That Gerard is out for blood and he doesn't care who gets in the way. I even tell her about all the scenting. "It's really weird. Isaac does it every time he sees me. Erica usually does, but for some reason didn't tonight. Boyd hasn't yet, I don't know if he ever will, and to be quite honest, I hope he doesn't, at least not like the others. But as weird as it sounds, it is actually kinda, well… comforting. It makes me feel safe when they do it."

The whole time I talk, and that took about two hours, she just sat there quietly. Her face changed quite a bit, especially when I said that werewolves were real, and that Peter bit her to try and turn her. But otherwise she sat there without batting an eyelash. "Are you going to say something?"

"Okay, so what you are telling me is that werewolves are real, your best friend is one, and so are Derek, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd. Peter was one too until Chris, Allison's father, a Hunter, killed him. That Allison is now training to be a hunter, and that her grandfather, our principal, is a Hunter, and wants all the werewolves in Beacon Hills dead for what Peter did to his daughter, Kate. And that Kate is in fact the one responsible for the Hale fire."

"Yes."

"Okay." She takes a deep breath. "I can handle this. It is all very crazy and doesn't make one bit of sense, but I can handle this. Actually it makes perfect sense. When we were trapped in the school, that wasn't Derek, was it? It was Peter. And Scott really did try to protect us."

"Pretty much. Although I think he was thinking more of Allison than you, me, and Jackson."

"He wanted the bite didn't he? You said he had figured it out, and I bet he wanted the bite. What he said to me all those times, it makes sense. He said that I am immune, and that I infected him with it. He got the bite. Derek gave him the bite?"

"No. I don't know. He didn't say that he did. I don't think that he would have. Let me ask." I get out my phone and send a text to Isaac, 'hey do u know if Sourwolf gave the bite to Jackson?'

I have to wait a few minutes for the reply, but our conversation doesn't continue. 'He says he didn't'

"Derek said that he didn't give Jackson the bite. I didn't think he would. No offense, but the guy is a d-bag. Derek bit those who could really benefit from it. Not those who would demand that someone make it happen."

"No I agree. Jackson doesn't deserve the bite. I am not saying it is some gift like Derek thinks, but if it can make three social misfits, into something more, and give them a place, well them who I am to judge." I give her a raised eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes. "Okay so maybe I would judge anyway, but it seems that they have all benefited from it. Jackson has it all. His parents love him, even if they aren't his birth ones…"

"Jackson's adopted?"

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No."

"Yeah, but he has been with his adopted parents since we was born practically. I think that is why he is such an ass sometimes. He pushes himself too hard to try and prove himself."

"It makes everything so clear now." There is a lull in the conversation now. "So are you going to be okay with everything? I know that this is a lot of information, but I don't think that you should be kept out of it anymore. There is too much shit going on and I don't know what is going to happen in the future. I just want to make sure you are safe from now on."

"I will be. Thank you for telling me. I really appreciate it. And you should tell Derek how you feel about him." My eyes go wide. And then I start to sputter, and I don't even know if I am saying words. "I don't know how, but I can just tell, so don't deny it. I don't blame you, he is hott. And you have saved his life enough times."

"I have not."

"Yes you have. You helped him after he was shot with the wolfsbane bullet. You set Peter on fire so that Derek had the ability to kill him even if he didn't take it. You just kept him afloat in the pool for over two hours. You keep saving him, and you don't even realize it. I think there is something else you didn't tell me that happened between the two of you though. I won't ask, or make you tell, but you know that you can tell me. I won't tell anyone else. Plus it might make it easier if you had someone to talk to. Someone who isn't a werewolf, or dating one. I see how close you and Allison have become."

"Sorry." I know that I have kind of stolen away one of Lydia's true friends.

"Don't be. The only reason she was pulling away from me was because I didn't know what was going on. Now that I do, she can talk to me again."

It takes me a few minutes to decide to tell Lydia everything that has happened between me and Derek. Maybe with her perspective I can learn a few more things about our favorite Alpha. "Well it started the first time we meet him in the woods after Scott was bit. When I saw him, I felt like I used to when I looked at you. Then when I saw you the next time kissing d-bag, it didn't hurt as much. I wasn't as jealous. When he was shot, I apologized to him for digging up Laura's grave, and getting him arrested and he forgave me. He shouldn't of, but he did. Then he came to me the night we found out Peter was the Alpha, and he looked so… broken. I don't know if you have ever seen him before tonight, but he always has a mask on. One that shows anger and frustration. But I have seen him without it. I know what lies underneath it. He even let me comfort him. When he first turned Isaac, he let Isaac come over to my place for dinner. He thanked me for helping." Then I start to blush. "He even scented me." Her eyes go wide again. "I went over to watch training once after the other two were turned, and he hurt Isaac, and I went off on him. He didn't get angry with me like I thought he would, instead he had that vulnerable look on his face again. But that time he forced me out. Then there was the kiss."

"HE KISSED YOU!" I wince when she starts to yell. But she has a giant smile on her face.

"Yeah. It was after we were trying to find Boyd. Scott wanted to convince him to not take the bite. And Erica brought me to them, because she knew it was going to end in a fight. When I got there, I was so mad at Scott. He has done so much wrong, and not listened to me so many times, that I kind of went off on him. I defended Derek and his pack and accused him of not wanting me in his pack. So I left with Derek's pack and when we got outside, he pretty much threw me against the wall and we kissed." The blush on my cheeks can only deepen. Sometimes it sucks have such pale skin.

"How was it?" My breath hitches in my chest just thinking about it. I can feel my pants tighten and the heat on my cheeks spreads to my neck and ears. "That good huh?"

She is looking at me with a smug smile and a raised eyebrow. "Better." I manage to let out. She giggles a little bit.

"Wow."

"Yeah." I turn to look away from her. "For a really long time, I thought I loved you. I thought I was in love with you, but with him… I feel like I am drowning, and then I'm not. When he touches me, hell, when he looks at me, I feel warmth spread through my whole body, like it's on fire. What I thought I felt for you is barely a flicker of what I feel for him."

"That's scary." I look up at her in surprise. She looks awed. But almost like she knows what I am talking about. "That is how I feel about Jackson. It's like you can't breathe unless he is around. And it is terrifying and exhilarating all the same time."

"Exactly! But at least we know Jackson still loves you." This time it is her turn to send him a surprised look. "You know it's true. He may be going through some existential crisis, but he will come back to you."

"How can you know that?" I point to the key on a chain around her neck.

"When you two first got together, there was a change in him. He started to get nicer. Once you put on this fake stupidity he went back to his old ways, but for a week or so, he stopped caring so much what others thought of him. I am probably the only one who noticed, but that is because I was spending so much time pining over you, and getting abused by him. My eyes, were on you two constantly, out of, well, lust for you, and fear for him. I don't know what happened when he gave you that key around your neck, but it made a difference in him. The fact that he hasn't asked for it back and you guys have been broken up for almost a month now, well that goes to say something. I know you never take it off, so that means you still love him too."

"Stiles Stalinksi, I have underestimated you." She looks apologetic. And this is the only kind of apology I am probably going to get from her. But that's okay.

I wave her off, "You aren't the first, and you won't be the last." Then she surprises me and pulls me in for a hug. I return it almost as quick as she gives it.

"Okay, from now on, we are in this together. Derek knows what he is missing out on. That much is obvious form the way he is acting toward you. But if he is too stupid to do anything about it, then you can't sit around waiting for him. Plus I have a bestiary to start translating." She takes the flash drive from my bag and goes over to her computer. "I am going to start on this right now. It may be a while though. Archaic Latin is not that easy to read."

I don't say anything to her, but I do make myself comfortable on her bed against the headboard and open my own computer. I still have a paper for English to finish, and that chemistry assignment won't finish itself. Lydia clears her throat in my direction. "What?"

"What do you think you are doing?"

"The Kanima is still out there, and I am not going to leave you here by yourself. My dad has the late shift tonight so I will be alone too. I am going to stay here and work on my homework. Then I am going to sleep on the couch. Do you have a problem with that?"

She thinks about it for a second. "Yes, I do." I start to protest, but she cuts me off. "If you are going to stay to protect me you will have to say in my room. My bed is big enough for the both of us, and now that I know you are not in love with me, I can trust you to sleep here." She turns back to her computer. And I shouldn't be surprised, but I don't think that Lydia will ever stop surprising me.

As I start my homework, I look do a quick search on the 'Kanima'. The only thing I find out is that it goes after killers. The rest is too garbled and I close the search engine, so focus on my homework. Lydia will get it translated soon enough.

…

The next day I wake up and as Lydia gets ready I send a text to my dad that I fell asleep over at Scott's and that I will see him later. He doesn't say anything about that, but does mention that Jackson took back what he said about witnessing Isaac fighting with his dad before his dad was murdered. I go out and grab my extra set of clothes from the back of my jeep and come back in to change in the bathroom. I send a text to Isaac, 'heard the good news. C u in school.' Then I take Lydia and myself out for breakfast. "Isaac will be back in school today, so don't freak out when you see him alright. I don't expect you to become friends with them right away, but they are my friends too, and if you could at least not hate them that would be awesome." We are at my favorite diner, and she is just sipping on a cup of coffee while I eat a full feast for one.

"I don't have a problem with them. I will be fine with them just as long as they don't try to start anything with me." I just smile at her. This is why I know Lyd's and I will be good friends now. I know she isn't as judgy as she pretends to be.

When we get to school Scott is standing there talking to Allison near the doors, and the pack is huddled together closer to the parking lot. "This is going to be a long day."

"Why?"

"Scott still doesn't trust the pack, and the pack doesn't trust Scott. We all have to work together on this, and they all know it. So I am just imagining that tensions between them are going to run high and I am caught in the middle. Scott is my best friend, but I am really coming to care about the pack."

"You always like to put yourself in the middle of the drama, don't you?"

"I don't do it on purpose." She just laughs at me and get out of the jeep. I follow and when we approach the pack Lydia nods to them in a causal yet pleasant manner. She keeps walking toward Allison and Scott, but I hang back with the pack. "Hey guys. Nice to see you again Isaac. Good to have you back."

"Good to be back." Normally by now, I would have Isaac all over me and Erica itching to. But they just stand there and don't even move a muscle. I just raise an eyebrow at them. "Well I guess I will see you guys later." They all nod, and I head toward Lydia and the others. "Mornin."

"What was that about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Scott."

"You stopped to talk to them."

"Um, yeah, cause we are supposed to be helping each other." He looks a bit stunned, "You do remember what I said Scott didn't you? That you had to start thinking about others, and that you have to apologize not only to me, but the others too right. Derek included."

He doesn't look like he knows how to respond at first, but quickly changes his facial expression. "Of course I remember. I just haven't had time to yet." Lie. He doesn't want to. I just roll my eyes, and start to walk into school. When Lydia's arm laces through my right arm, and Allison's through my left, I am caught off guard. But I don't let it slow me down. This is them obviously agreeing with me, and Scott is left wondering what just happened. The giggles that happen at his lost puppy face defiantly don't come from me. It is totally the girls. Really.

In Econ, Lydia starts to freak out. Her eyes dart all over the room. Even over to me. I send her a questioning look, but she looks unfocused. This is going to be like the ice rink all over again. I just realized that with everything else, we didn't talk about whatever that was. And now it is happening again. Then she is at the board and writing something. I realize that is says 'someonehelpme' backwards. After class I tell her that we will talk at lunch.

When lunchtime rolls around, we grab something to eat and head out to the quad. No one really eats out here and we will be relatively alone. Scott and Allison join us after a few minutes, and Isaac, Erica, and Boyd are not too far behind. I look over at Lydia to make sure she is okay with this, and she nods. When everyone is settled, Scott farthest away from the pack, I ask Lydia what happened. "I am not sure. I was watching someone write on the board to answer the question Finstock had up. Then when I looked again, it was Peter. He was writing in a spiral, and everyone in the room was staring at me. Even you, Scott, and Jackson. Then he started to approach me and I backed up against the wall. I was screaming for him to leave me alone. Then I came to at the front of the class with the chalk in my hand."

"You saw Peter!?"

"I think that's his name, the one who attacked me on the field right?"

"Yeah, that was him. But he is dead."

"I know that. You told me."

"Maybe you were having a post-traumatic stress incident or something?"

"Maybe. But it felt so real. I don't even know how it started, or why." This bit of news is very concerning. Peter was creepy in real life, I can't imagine what it would be like in a waking dream. I just wrap my arm around her shoulder and she leans in a little to me. I can feel her shaking a bit. I am amazed when Isaac leans his hand across the table to her and takes her hand in his. She is a bit shocked by the action too, but she gives him a small smile and squeezes it back. I just beam at him, and he ducks his head in acceptance of the silent thanks. Scott grumbles at the end of the table but doesn't say anything.

"So I think that we need to have a study session tonight. At my house. That way you don't have to be home alone until your mom gets home."

"I agree." Good on Allison. She has felt bad by ignoring Lydia, so this will be an opportunity for her to make up for it. Scott agrees too. But the pack can't because they have training with Derek. They look kind of disappointed about it though.

"Don't worry guys, we can get together some other night. You three are always welcome at casa de Stalinksi." This gets grins out of all three of them, that quickly become neutral faces again. I think Derek told them to stay away from me. I really want to punch Derek in the face, even if it would break my hand. It would be totally worth it.

I stick close to Lydia through the rest of school. I don't want her to have anymore freak-outs and be on her own. When Jackson sees us leaving School he says that he needs to talk to her, but she says that she is going to study. I think this is a perfect time to try and get them back together. So I invite him over. She looks at me with contempt, but I am just trying to be a good friend here.

When we get to my house, Jackson asks if he can talk to her so they go upstairs to my room while Allison, Scott and I set up in the living room. I get some drinks and snacks and bring them back in. When I hear their voices rise I turn on the TV. Scott doesn't need to listen in on their conversation. While we are waiting for them to come back down I go to look out the window. I am feeling a high amount of tension, but I don't know where from. What I see out the window, and what I see doesn't make me very happy. I go to the door, and step out. Allison and Scott are close on my heels. "What are you doing here?"

Derek is standing across the street with the rest of the pack. "I didn't come here for you. I came for Jackson."

"Why?"

"I think he might be the Kanima." At first I want to argue, but then the words Lydia said to me come through. 'he said I passed his immunity onto him or something'. I turn back to the house and hear a scream from upstairs. I am about to run up when a hand comes down on my shoulder and I am pulls back behind Derek, who lets out a furious growl. We are in the middle of the lawn, and I really hope that the neighbors don't see, because at that moment, Lydia comes running down the stairs outside, while Jackson/Kanima crawls out my window and down the side of the house disappearing from view. Derek wants to start after it, but I hold him back.

"No! I want to try this without killing him."

"Stiles, he tried to kill you. He is going to kill again. I can't let that happen."

"Please, can you please trust me? You said you did last night, so let me do something. I don't think he knows that it's him, and if he does, he might be freaking out. Just let me do this Derek."

He looks conflicted. "Fine, but if he kills again, I can't wait. I am sorry. But this brings attention not only to him, but to us as well. And there are worse things out there than Hunters." He turns walk to his car. Isaac, Erica, and Boyd look sadly at me, and then they too turn to leave. I sigh, and go back in the house. Allison has Lydia at the couch and Scott is hovering pacing back and forth. When I come over I make sure Lydia is okay. She just keeps saying 'he wanted his key' and 'it can't be him', over and over. There are tears running down her face. I want to help her, but I can tell that Allison wants me to talk to Scott. She and I have been talking about trying to make Scott join Derek's pack. He would be stronger with them, and then we would have more of an in. Derek listens to me sometimes, but if I were really part of his pack, and fully accepted, it would make things so much smoother. Plus Allison would be a great addition, not only for her own skills, but as a liaison between the Wolves and the Hunters. And now that Lydia is in on things, and part of our group, she can help me with research and her own sharp mind. Great additions all in all.

I grab Scott's arm and pull him toward the kitchen. We are having this talk now. "What dude? Why are you manhandling me?"

I release my grip on his arm, I was holding harder than I thought. "You and I need to talk."

"About what?"

"You need to ask to join Derek's pack."

"WHAT!?" 

"You heard me. You need to. I don't know how much longer you can stay a Beta without a pack, and you would be stronger with them. More protected. Plus, that would mean Allison, Lydia, and I would be more welcome. Derek might be more receptive of my advice, and Lydia and Allison would be great additions as well. I am pretty sure he won't say no to you. He knows what you bring to the table as well."

"NO! I won't join his pack. He barely knows what he is doing."

"Your right, he is having a hard time of it. But did you ever stop to think that his older sister, the one who was originally the Alpha, had been groomed for the Alpha power, while Derek probably didn't receive any of the training at all. Whatever he knows, is what he picked up from Laura, or basic stuff anyone brought up in a family of wolves would know."

"I don't care. He isn't my Alpha. I won't follow him, and listen to him. I would have to submit to him, and I won't do that."

"Why Scott? Why not?"

"I don't want someone else telling me what to do."

"Really, that is your argument? That is pathetic. You sound like a petulant five year old. I thought you were going to apologize and try to move on from whatever this aggression towards Derek is. What happened to that?"

"I was going to try. But I won't join him. I don't agree with the way he does things." I can hear the lie on the first part. And that stings. I don't know what else to do. If Scott won't join the pack, then we have to figure out a way to work together on all this. I can't leave either side in this stranded. Maybe I can convince Lydia to stay out of things for a while. At least until we get the Jackson thing settled. Allison can just go back to her family and try to keep them out of the way. She can stand with Scott, but she was really hoping for this as well. I don't know what she has for a contingency plan. But as for me, I am going to try and save Jackson, while trying to keep everyone else from killing him.


	6. Chapter 6

I get a text from Isaac later that night saying that Derek is chasing after the Kanima. Allison took Lydia home about an hour ago, so I book it over to Scott's and tell him what is going on, and we are chasing after them. Scott jumps out of the car when we hit some spikes in the road by a warehouse and go and park my car near a club, and meet up with Scott outside said club. I sneak up on him, didn't think I could do that anymore. "Sorry. Did you see where he went?"

"I lost him."

"What? You couldn't catch his scent?"

"I don't think he has one."

"All right, any clue where he's going?"

"To kill someone."

"Ah! That explains the claws and fangs and all that. Good makes perfect sense now." Scott gives me a look, "What? Scott, I am a hundred and forty-seven pounds of skin and fragile bone, okay? Sarcasm is my only defense."

"Just help me find it."

"Not 'it' Jackson."

"Yeah, I know, I know."

"All right, but does he know that? Did anyone else see him back at my house?"

"I don't think so." Scott starts to watch the entrance of the club, and I look up. The Kanima, because Jackson, isn't Jackson when he is the Kanima, that makes sense right, is going through a window above the club. It is going inside, and that is going to make things a bit harder. Then Scott says he knows who the Kanima is after. I look down and see Danny going into the club. Shit, shit, shit. I like Danny, who doesn't. But we can't let the Kanima hurt him. He doesn't even know anything about this stuff.

We don't have fake ID's so we have to sneak in a back door. Scott rips the handle off the door, and the second we are in, I know exactly where we are. It is called the Jungle, and it is a gay club. I have thought about trying to come here a few times, since I figured out my new found attraction to guys, but there has never really been the time. Plus I think that there is really only one guy for me. But I'm not going to think about him right now. We head in a bit and Scott pauses. While he is looking around, a bunch of drag queens come over and surround me. I think one of them is feeling up my ass, and another is slipping a piece of paper in my pocket. I am a little freaked out, but excited at the same time. Then Scott uses his astounding powers of observation. "Dude, everyone in here's a dude. I think we're in a gay club."

"Man nothing gets past those keen werewolf senses, huh Scott?" As Danny walks away from the bar, we walk up. "Two beers."

"ID's?"

"Two cokes, I guess." I don't even bother to take mine out. Scott does, but I know we won't get anything. Then one of the other bartenders brings over a drink and said it was paid for. He hands it to Scott, and a guy across the bar nods his head and winks at Scott. He smirks. "Oh shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, well, your face did." I am kind of jealous that Scott got the attention and not me. I am the one who might be with a guy at some point in their life, and he has a girlfriend. Maybe I should come back here again, but dressed more for the club, rather than in a tee-shirt and a hoodie.

I see Danny on the dance floor and Scott sees the Kanima crawling on the ceiling. This is not going to end well. "Get Danny."

"What are you gonna do?" he extends his claws. "Works for me. Just don't kill him." Scott nods, and I head off onto the dance floor. I feel bad breaking up what Danny has going with the guy he is grinding on, but I am trying to save his life, so maybe he will forgive me. I try to shove my way through the mass of bodies, but all I really manage to do is get groped and jostled around. I lose Danny in the sea of bodies, and I can't find him. Then all of a sudden there is someone behind me and a hand wrapped around my waist pulling me against their hard body. I resist for a second before a familiar scent hits my nose and I turn to see violet eyes on me. Derek. "Don't kill him." He nods, and takes off into the mass of people and I am suddenly cold even with everyone still pressing on me.

When I hear the bodies start to thud to the ground and the screams start up, I am able to get to Danny. I crouch over him and tell him that it will be okay. That this isn't permanent and it will wear off in a few hours. He doesn't say anything, but blinks up at me and I take that as a sign that he understands. I tell him not to worry and an ambulance will be here soon. He just blinks again. I tell him I have to go and that I will text him later. I head out of the club and find Scott kneeling next to an unconscious Jackson. We manage to get him into the back of my jeep and I want to get out of there before my dad, or one of his deputies sees me, but as I start the jeep, my dad pulls up. Right in front of me. Then to make matters worse Jackson starts to move and grumble in the back seat. Scott wants me to get rid of him. So I have to go out there and make up excuses why I am there.

When he gets out of the cruiser he does not look happy. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what am I doing here? What? It's a club. It's a club, we were clubbing, you know? At the club."

"Not exactly your type of club."

"…Uh, dad, there's a conversation that…"

"You're not gay."

"I never said gay." I wasn't planning on telling him, but now is as good a time as any.

"Well you're not, not dressed like that."

"Well, what's…" I am getting a little frustrated that I am actually trying to tell him I am Bi, and he won't listen to me. "That is beside the point. I am trying to tell you that I am-"

"Stiles, enough. This is the second crime scene that you just happened to have shown up on. And at this point, I've been fed so many lies, I'm not sure I know the kid standing in front of me. Now what the hell is going on?"

"Dad, I am trying to tell-"

"The truth Stiles." As if everything he said wasn't a blow to the chest, this is the final straw. I can feel the sting behind my eyes that tells me tears are coming, and I have to fight it back. I can't break down in front of him. I know I have lied, and I am only doing it to protect him. I can't let him get hurt. So now here is another lie. One that he will believe. I feel like trash for doing this, but I don't know what else to do.

"The truth, all right. Well the truth is that we were here with Danny." I try to make it sound positive but I am not sure if I manage it or not. "Yeah, cause he just broke up with his boyfriend," Not a lie, "so we were just trying to take him out and get his mind off things. That's it."

My dad's face changes from one of disappointment to concern. "Well, that is really good of you guys. You're good friends." He lets me go and when I get back in the car, Scott isn't even observant enough to tell that I am torn up inside. I don't want to break down in front of him either, so I just hold it back and start driving. We have no idea where to take him. Then I get an idea. We go and get one of the police vans that they use to haul prisoners in and put him in the back locking him up. I also but some pants on him, and try my best to not look at him while he is naked. I may be into guys now, but I am not interested in him. When morning comes around and Jackson wakes up he starts yelling and there are a few death threats. I only hope we can convince him about what he is doing.

…

I skip school the next day to talk to Jackson, and I bring him some food, but when I get in he just gets angry. I mean I guess I would be too if I had no idea I was there. "You know we are trying to help you here?"

"This is helping me?" He holds up his hands that are handcuffed together.

"Yes. You are killing people. To death. Yeah. And until we can figure out how to stop you, you're gonna stay in here. I'm sorry. I really am. Now do you want the ham and cheese, or the turkey club?"

"You actually think my parents won't be looking for me?"

I toss him a sandwich, "Not if they don't think anything's wrong." I pull out his phone and show him the text that I sent to his dad. He doesn't say anything, and when I start to tell him about being the Kanima, he doesn't look like he believes me. Then I get an idea. "Who bit you?"

"What?"

"Who gave you the bite? Lydia said you were yelling at her for making you immune, so who gave you the bite?"

"Derek." He says it with conviction, but at the same time, almost like it's a question.

"Nope… I don't believe you."

"Why not? He bit those three losers didn't he?"

That gets my anger flowing. "They are not losers. Derek said he didn't bite you, and even though he wants to kill you for what you've done, I don't think he was the one who bit you. It was Peter wasn't it. He bit you the night of the formal. After you saved Lydia." He gives me a look of shock. "Really, you guys need to learn that I am smarter than I appear. I play up a lot of this spastic shit. So what happened the night of your first full moon?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened."

"I think you did turn, but you didn't turn into a wolf." He just looks at me like I am crazy. And for all I know, I might be. I don't know how he turned into the Kanima, but I am going to do my best to save him. I exit the back of the van trying to gather my thoughts before I go in for round two, when Allison shows up. I am surprised to see her, Scott and her are supposed to be here after school, not during.

"They know."

"What?"

"They know Jackson's missing."

"No, they can't. I've been texting his parents since last night. They don't have a clue."

"My grandfather told me his parents went to the police. They know." I decide that I have to move the van, so I use Jacksons phone to call his mom, and then wipe my prints off it. I don't know where to take the van right away, but we have to get out of there. I move it to another part of the preserve. Hopefully they won't check out here.

…

We get the van moved, and Scott meets up with us. I have no idea what we are going to do now. Jackson won't believe me when I tell him what he is. "If Jackson doesn't remember being the Kanima, he's defiantly not going to remember stealing Danny's tablet." Oh, yeah, apparently Jackson taped himself on the night of his first full moon, but then when nothing happened, Danny, and Matt helped him figure out that two hours are missing from the tape. Also, I don't like Matt. I don't know what it is about him, maybe the way he is always staring at Allison, I don't know. I just don't like the guy. I stay out of this conversation. I listen to Scott and Allison talk, but I am trying to put the pieces together.

"Why would he steal it if he doesn't even know what's on it?" Scott's right, he wouldn't remember.

"What if someone else took it?"

"Then someone else knows what he is."

"Which could mean someone's protecting him."

"So someone watches Jackson make a video of himself turning into the Kanima and then just erases part of it so he wouldn't know? I mean who would do that?"

"Someone who would want to protect him? But there's something else," he turns back to me, "You said that the Kanima only goes after murderers, right? What if that's actually true?" Guess I am joining the conversation.

"But it can't be. It has tried to kill all of us, remember? I don't know about you two, but I haven't murdered anyone lately."

"But I don't think that it was actually trying to kill us. When we were at Isaac's the first time, it just went right by us, didn't it?" Allison nods. "And it didn't kill you in the mechanic's garage."

"Well, yeah, but it tried to kill me and Derek in the pool."

"Did it?"

"It would've. It was waiting for us to come out."

"What if it was trying to keep you in?"

"Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?" And I do in a sense. Jackson has been unknowingly protecting us from something. I don't even get this thing anymore. Hopefully Lydia will get the bestiary translated soon.

"Because there's something else going on. We don't know what it is. We don't know anything about what's going on with Jackson, or why someone's protecting him."

I am quiet for a few minutes, "I am not so sure that someone is protecting him." Scott and Allison both give me this weird look. "What? I just have this sinking feeling that someone is using him. I can't be sure until Lydia finishes the translation, but something about all of this feels off."

"I still think we need to find a way to stop him."

"Scott, you can't just put him down. Jackson doesn't even know what is going on."

"That makes him even more dangerous."

"Yeah, and what about all those times, you tried to kill me. Or Allison. Derek stopped you, and I was there for you no matter what. Even after all the shit you put me through, I am still standing here. Helping you. Jackson doesn't have anyone. He is alone."

"He did it to himself."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to save him. I am not a hundred percent sure, but I think Peter gave him the bite."

"I thought Derek did."

"No, I asked Isaac, and he said that Derek didn't."

"He could be lying to you." Now I am getting mad again. Scott isn't listening to me as usual.

"Isaac wouldn't lie to me. He would tell me the truth. So would Derek. Just because you don't trust them, doesn't me I don't. I asked Derek not to kill Jackson, and he hasn't. All of his instincts are telling him to, but he is fighting that because I asked him to. You need to trust me. And Jackson needs us, whether he trusts us or not." Scott doesn't say anything after that. And I feel an overwhelming sadness, but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I still haven't given myself time to deal with what happened last night. I don't know if I will even have time tonight. But I am not sure how much more of this I can keep pent up inside before I burst.

So I decide to leave Scott and Allison there while I go and see how Lydia is doing with the bestiary. When I get to her house, she is working hard, but I can tell she is distracted. She doesn't want to talk about it so I just tell her to take a break and get some rest.

Then I start driving. I don't really have a destination in mind, but I need to go to a place that no one will look for me. So I head to the cemetery. I walk slowly to my mom's grave, lean against the head stone as usual, and just start to cry. I can't even say anything as I do. All of the guilt from lying to my dad, all the stress of the last few weeks, all the pent up emotion I have been storing up since all of this began, it all flows out of me. I can't stop it. Not even if I tried. The fact that no one seems to notice that I am slowly drowning in fear of what is going to happen next, and the burning desire I have to yell at the top of my lungs until someone looks at me, it is all too much. I feel like I'm back in the pool treading water, and slowly I am running out of energy to stay afloat.

I don't know how long I sit there. But when I get my bearings I notice that it is dark now. I check the time, and see that it has been hours since I left Scott and Allison. There are no messages on my phone, but I want to go and check on Jackson before I go home for the night. Once I get in my jeep, I look at myself in the mirror. I'm paler than usual and I can see the red puffiness that comes with crying, as well as the bags under my eyes from a lack of good sleep. I try to make myself look as decent as possible. And head off.

When I get there, the doors to the van are wide open. So I rush to the car, where Scott and Allison are asleep in the back and half naked. I bang on the window and when they wake up they look at me in confusion. "You guys might wanna come take a look at this." I'm kinda pissed that they took the time to have sex, but couldn't keep an eye on Jackson. He is supposed to be the priority right now. They come over and see that Jackson is missing.

"I have to tell my father. Scott. He's going to kill someone."

Scott looks nervous, but I think he is more worried about her father finding out that they are still dating even though they were told not to, not about Jackson. "Okay, tell him. Tell him everything."

"Scott, I gotta tell mine too." I don't want to. I want to protect him. But this is getting out of control. And he needs to be safe no matter what. I can't protect him anymore without letting him know what is going on.

"How are you going to make your dad believe all this?" Allison comes over to me and gives me a hug. She knows how I feel about letting him in on all of this supernatural stuff.

"I don't know." I really don't either.

Scott turns to me and his eyes are glowing. "He'll believe me."

…

When we get to the office, Jackson is there with his father. Scott and I move off to the interview room while Jackson, his dad, and my dad talk. I can tell this is going to be bad. Then I get a text from Lydia telling me that she finished translating the bestiary about the Kanima. So I call her. "What does it say?"

"Well it says that the Kanima is used as a weapon of vengance. That it will only kill murderers, unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Well a Kanima is made when a person is bitten by a wolf, but has demons haunting their conscience. I think it means that if they have major unresolved issues in their life, then it turns them into a Kanima instead of a wolf. And that while a wolf seeks a pack, the Kanima seeks a master. And if the bond between the master and the Kanima grows strong enough it will kill whoever its master wants it to."

I can't help but exclaim, "I knew it! Someone is controlling him. He has no idea."

"Yes. So we need to figure out who is controlling him."

"Well that might be a problem."

"Why?"

"Well you know how we had Jackson locked up all day today?"

"Yes…"

"Yeah, well he broke out and is currently sitting in my dad's office. And I don't know if he will be pressing charges or not. Whatever happens, we are not getting close to him again." There is silence on the other end of the line. "Lydia?"

"Don't worry about it. I will take care of it."

"Lydia, no-" the line goes dead and I sigh in frustration. This is going to be a long, rough night.

* * *

So this chapter is a bit more back to cannon, except a few things I through in there. Like Peter being the one who bite Jackson. He did it before he got to the Hale house, but after he left Stiles. I kinda know how that conversation went down in my head, but I don't think that I will ever write it. Maybe after the series is over I will write a few one shots and add it on at the end. I have a few more ideas for some other fics, but I am also thinking of writing a companion piece to this that does goes through all of the this but from Derek's point of view. There would obviously be some serious overlap, but there would also be a lot of stuff that will only be mentioned in this series. Tell me what you guys think, should I write that one? If i do, it will probably have to wait until I have finished the next fic I have planned, but it could be done very easily. Just a thought.

And as always, thanks for the amazing support, and please tell me what you think! I love to hear what you guys have to say!


	7. Chapter 7

"You will not go within fifty feet of Jackson Whittemore. You will not speak to him. You will not approach him. You will not assault or harass him physically or psychologically." Dad throws down the clipboard that has the restraining order on it. This is bad. I am not only going to get into trouble for this, but so is dad. I am only trying to help, but all I do is hurt more and more people. People I am trying to protect.

"What about school." I am so glad Scott asks, because my voice has failed me and I am holding in the tears again.

"You can attend classes while attempting to maintain a fifty foot distance." Dad dismisses the others and when they are gone, he pulls me out by my arm. I can tell that I am going to telling more lies and it is killing me. I don't know that I can deal with this much more. "Do I need to remind you how lucky we are that they're not pressing charges?" I don't say anything I just stare down at my feet. My hands are fisted in the pockets of my hoodie. I can feel my nails digging hard into the palms of my skin. It is that pain that helps me to keep my mouth shut. "And what am I supposed to think about the stolen transport van, huh?" I don't say anything. I just keep my eyes on the floor. I can feel my dad's frustration and worry. Normally I would be spouting off, trying to dig my way out of this with a million different excuses. But I can't do it anymore. I think he can sense that I am not going to say anything and moves on to his office. The disappointment from him is worse than any punishment he could dole out.

I think I talk to Scott after his mom leaves, but to tell the truth I don't really care. I take him home, and then go home myself. Then I head up to my room, and I try to fall asleep, but I can't. All I can do is cry. I hear my window open and when I turn to look, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd are there. They are all whimpering a little and before I know it, they are all on my bed with me. Isaac grabs me and pulls me up, while the other two grab the sheets and blankets from my bed and closet, to make a makeshift bed on the floor. Then I am laid down and Isaac is at my back, Erica at my front, and Boyd behind her. They are all touching me and rubbing my arms, back and chest. And I am still crying like I was earlier. They don't say anything, but this is the closest I have been to comfortable in months. It makes my heart hurt a bit. I am almost asleep when I hear the window slide shut and there is a smell of woods and leather. I know Derek is there, and that makes me feel weak and strong at the same time. My eyes are closed still silently crying and I sleep.

…

I wake up in my bed with no trace of what happened last night at all. I am not even sure it was real. But the faint smell of Derek lingers in the air, so I know it had to have happened. I still feel like shit, but I go to school and any time I see Jackson I turn to walk in the other direction. I know that I am not going to be able to avoid him forever, but for now, I have no other choice. I don't want to make things worse for my dad then they already are. He is in an elected seat after all. And having his son get into this much trouble is not good.

I text Allison and tell her to talk to Lydia about what we have found out, and ask to keep an eye on her. I think Lydia is going to try and save Jackson, but I don't know what she is planning on doing. And I worry that she will try something without telling the rest of us.

I try to talk to Lydia too throughout the day, but she is avoiding me like I am avoiding Jackson. She knows I am trying to talk to her, and she knows I will try to stop her. Needless to say she does a really good job of avoiding me. But I need to ask her more about Jackson's biological parents. I think that might have something to do with the whole, suppose-to-be-a-wolf-but-not-a-wolf thing. Then Erica confronts me in the hallway. She pushes me against the locker, and looks a bit ticked off. I am not sure why though. Last night she was just fine. "Hi, Erica."

"Why are you trying to ask Lydia about Jackson's real parents?" I look down to see her claws out and her hand on my chest.

"Why are you brining your claws out on camera?" There is an edge of concern in my voice. I don't want her getting caught. She takes her hand away. "That's right. You wanna play Catwoman? I'll be your Batman." I start to walk off I am pretty sure she will follow.

"If you're wondering about Jackson's real parents, they're about half a mile from here. In Beacon Hills Cemetery." I turn back to look at her. How did she know that is what I am looking for? She starts to walk off in a different direction, and I can't let this go.

"Okay. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Do you know how they died?"

"Maybe. If you tell me why you're so interested." She slows to a stop, "It's him isn't it?"

"What? Who? Him who?"

"Jackson's the Kanima, you know for sure now?" Damn it, I was hoping to be able to tell Derek that myself when we figured out a way to help him. I mean he probably already knows, but there was still a shred of doubt. She keeps walking and I want to beg her not to tell Derek, but I know that I can't ask her to lie to him. But I keep after her.

"I know you are going to tell Derek, and that is fine. I was going to tell him anyway." She looks back at me with a surprised look on her face. She can tell I'm not lying. "But there is a lot more to this that you don't know about. And Jackson needs our help. He doesn't know that he is doing this. He doesn't know what he is."

"Why should we help him? No one ever helped me. Not until the one time you did, right before I took the bite. I used to have the worst crush in the world on you. Yeah, you Stiles. And you never once noticed me." Then I think I hear something and I am not looking her in the face anymore. I am trying to figure out what it is. But I am still listening. "Exactly how you're not noticing me right now." Then we both look down and see the water coming from under the boys locker room and the door opens, and Scott and Jackson come out fighting. Erica reaches down and takes Jackson backing away, and I grab Scott the best I can, Allison helping by putting herself between Jackson and Scott. And of course they made enough noise to bring attention of a teacher. Not just any teacher, but Harris. This will not end well.

"What's going on here?" Scott is finally calm enough that Allison and I can back away from him. "What do you idiots think you are doing? Jackson! Calm down! Mr. McCall, you wanna explain yourself?" I notice Matt out of the corner of my eye, he is on the tablet that Lydia gave to Allison earlier today with the translated bestiary on it. I don't like this. And I don't like him. Scott doesn't say anything. "Stilinski!"

Before I can say anything Matt hands the tablet back towards Scott, he was fiddling with it, but I don't know what he did. Then Harris decides to give all six of us detention. Sure didn't see that coming.

…

We end up in the Library for detention. This is a nice change from the usual. Allison, Jackson, and Matt sit at one table, and Scott, Erica, and I end up at another. Scott still looks like he wants to kill Jackson, and looks like he actually might. I tell him calm down. "I am going to kill him."

"No you're not, you are going to calm down, and we are going to find out who is controlling him. You won't kill him."

"Yes I will." Then I get a text from Allison. It says that Jackson had a moment of lucidity after she knocked him to the ground, and he didn't know what was going on. That was when Scott attacked and things got out of hand. And also that Matt has a copy of the translated bestiary.

First I am mad at Scott for attacking, and then I realize that Jackson is only having moments where he isn't being controlled. When he is in control. Then when I think it over Matt has to be the one who is doing it. "I think the one controlling the Kanima is Matt. It all comes back to the video, right?"

"Danny said that Matt was the one who found the two hours of footage missing."

"Exactly! He's trying to throw suspicion off himself."

"So he makes Jackson kill Isaac's dad, one of Argents Hunters, and the mechanic working on your jeep?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"I don't know yet. There are still pieces missing. But Allison text me saying that he has a copy of the bestiary on his tablet, and he is unassuming."

"You just don't like him."

"The guy bugs me. I don't know what it is. It is just this feeling in the pit of my stomach that what he appears to be on the surface, isn't the real him."

"Any other theories?" I am kind of mad that Scott won't listen to me, again. I seem to be right most of the time. And yet he still doesn't trust my judgment. I am constantly being underestimated. And it is driving me crazy. Especially because it is coming from someone who is supposed to be my best friend.

Jackson looks like he is suffering from a headache and goes off to the bathroom with Harris behind him. Erica who has been listening this entire time, but not said a word, looks up as Harris leaves. "So you know what happened to Jackson's parents?" I can't help but ask.

"Maybe."

"Talk." Scott is too demanding. I glare at him and then look at Erica.

"Please?" She looks at me with kindness back in her eyes. The anger at me from earlier gone.

"It was a car accident. My dad was the insurance investigator, and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes a comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he's eighteen."

"So not only is Jackson rich now, but he's getting even richer?"

"Yep."

"There is something so deeply wrong with that." Word vomit is the worst. I wish I could control it better.

"You know what? I could try to find the insurance report in my dad's inbox. He keeps everything." Then Scott is called to the principal's office by Allison's mom. She has been hanging around the school a bit too much lately. Subbing in for teachers, doing office work. Doesn't she have a job, a life? I guess when you are werewolf hunters you can do whatever you want. Scott leaves and not too much longer after, Jackson comes back. He doesn't look so good.

Erica does manage to find the information about Jackson's bio parents. "Look at the dates."

"Passengers arrived at the hospital DOA. The estimated time of death 9:26 pm., June 14, 1995."

"Jackson's Birthday is June 15th." That means that his parents died before he was even born. He must have been taken from his mother's womb after she died. I can't even imagine something like that. Mr. Harris gets up and so we start getting our stuff to leave as well. And then he laughs. He is so evil. "No, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm leaving. But none of you are. You may go when you're done with the re-shelving." he pats the four full book carts. This will take all afternoon. And we have already been here an hour. "Enjoy the rest of your evening." He walks out and we get to work.

When Scott comes back, and Allison is stocking with us, I start to tell them what Erica and I found out. "So was it an accident or not?" Allison looks a little afraid of what the answer might be.

"I don't know. The word all over the report is 'inconclusive.'"

"Then his parents could have been murdered?" I hate that we all have to jump to murder as the cause of everything going on.

"If they were, then it falls in line with the Kanima myth. You know? Seeks out and kill murderers."

"But for Jackson? Or for the person controlling him?"

"I don't know Allison. I think it would be for the controller. But at this point we don't have any evidence either way. We are still missing pieces here." Then one of the lights gets shattered, and I am pretty sure that the Kanima is loose. Scott goes over to see Matt on the floor with a slash on his neck. A bit obvious if he is trying to throw suspicion off himself. And Erica half wolfs out. I don't know if she controlled it, or it came out from the attack that is going on, but before I have more of a chance to think about it, Jackson takes out the light above us, and I pull Allison back away from the falling light. Then he drops down and gets Erica's neck. We rush over to her as she starts to fall, and I catch her. I steady her to the floor and Scott is in front of us, keeping himself between Jackson and us.

Jackson starts writing on the chalkboard in the corner of the room. It says 'Stay out of my way or I will kill all of you.' Then he bounds out of the window. Then Erica starts to have a seizure. I grab her and try to steady her again. I don't know what to do. "We need to get her to a hospital."

"Derek, only to Derek." I nod at her. Scott and Allison have a moment. I don't really care what they say. I am more focused on getting Erica out of here. I grab her up in my arms and Scott goes in front of us to open doors. I dig my keys out of my pocket and throw them to Scott. He looks surprised but doesn't say anything. When we get to my jeep, he opens the door and I pass her to him, getting in the backseat. Then he gently puts her in the back with me and I hold her again.

I don't remember the drive to Derek's. I just keep my focus on Erica. There is a burning in my chest and I am trying to breathe myself. I keep one arm wrapped around her and the other one stroking her face trying to keep her calm. She shouldn't be having a stroke. I think the venom that the Kanima makes, blocks the wolf. She is completely human right now. And it scares the shit out of me.

Once we are at Derek's, he is there waiting for us. Scott must have called ahead. I get out and then reach back in for her. Derek goes to take her, but I think I growl at him and don't let her go. I don't know where this new found strength and protectiveness comes from. I mean I am a lightweight with barely any muscle. How am I able to carry her through the whole school and down two flights of stairs to the abandoned train car without huffing and puffing? I don't really care at this point. I am just really glad that I am able to, and even when I put her down, I don't let her go.

Derek has a scowl on his face. Probably from me not letting her go, but I don't care. "Is she dying?" I want to hit Scott for even thinking that.

"She might, I…" Derek is at a loss for words. I just want him to help her. And I look him in the eyes pleadingly. "This is gonna hurt." He grabs her arm and breaks it.

"You broke her arm." I snarl it out. He stares at me for a minute.

"It will trigger the healing process. I still gotta get the venom out. This is where it's really gonna hurt." He digs his claws into her arms and I hold her as best I can, keeping her to my chest while she screams in pain. She whimpers and then falls back resting on me. I brush the hair off her face and I whisper to her saying everything will be okay.

"Stiles… You make a good Batman." The tears that I have been holding back, because I have been unable to do anything, finally fall from my face. I just bury my head in her hair and laugh feebly. She uses her free hand to grab mine and holds it tightly. I squeeze it back, and then Isaac and Boyd are there. Isaac scoots up behind me and lets me rest against him putting his arms under me to support me. And Boyd sits next to us so close that I can feel the heat radiate off of him. He looks at Erica like she is the world to him, and I know then that they are more than friends. Maybe they don't know it yet. But they will in a matter of time.

After about fifteen minutes of Derek bleeding Erica out, he finally releases her arm and goes to start to clean her up. He wipes the blood off her arm and bandages it up with some spare clean rags. "Derek, I need to talk to you." Scott speaks for the first time since we got in the jeep. I don't know what he is going to say to Derek, but I hope that they will finally start to work together. I want to listen in, but I can't hear them. Isaac must know, and starts whispering what they are saying in my ear.

Scott surprises me and tells Derek that he will help him as part of the pack. On the condition that they catch him, not kill him. Seems I finally got through to him. Derek tells him that was the plan all along. Scott seems to have a plan, which is interesting since he has yet to tell me about it. Right now I can't complain too much though. This means that the tension will hopefully go down between the two and they will start to work together.

Erica stops seizing and is able to sit up on her own, but stays leaning against me. One arm is wrapped around her, the other hand is on Boyd's arm grasping firmly, and I am still leaning into Isaac. This is like when we were all lying on my bedroom floor. I feel comfortable. They are all scenting me again. Isaac my neck and the others my arms. I feel content. I feel safe. Scott doesn't even tell me goodbye before he leaves. I don't know how I feel about that. When I manage to look up I see Derek staring at us. I can feel his conflicting emotions rolling off of him. The others don't tense up or anything, so maybe it's just me. But I can see the mask, and in his eyes, there is so much more there. I just don't know what it is.

I think I am there for a few hours when we finally stand up and I look at the time. It is almost curfew for me and if I want to make it home in time, then I have to leave now. I hug all three of them and let them scent me again. I move towards the door where Derek is still standing. I want to say something to him, but he keeps up his mask and I don't have the courage to say anything. I just nod and walk past him up the stairs.

After I get home, I feel all alone. My dad is downstairs watching who knows what, and I am lying in bed trying to sleep. Allison text me saying that she called that ambulance and told the cops that is was an animal that damaged the place. Dad didn't say anything to me when I got home, but he keeps giving me the same worried look. I haven't been able to talk to him. I don't want to lie anymore, and it is creating this distance between us that has never been there before. We have always been able to lean on one another. But now, we aren't even speaking.

I don't even have the energy to cry anymore. I don't know that I would have any tears even if I wanted to. The quilt is pulled over my head to try and block out the world, but when I hear the window open I look out to see Isaac. He looks so sad, he just stands there. I get up and pull the quilt with me and take his hand to drop down and lean against the wall. He leans on my shoulder and I cover us both with the quit. It doesn't take long for me to pass out now, and when I wake in the morning I am still against the wall with a crick in my neck and he is gone.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days pass without Jackson going Kanima on us and I am not sure what to make of it. On the plus side, the pack has been friendlier towards me. Scott too, but I think there is still some underlying animosity there. They have sat with us at lunch and come over to my house a few times. The scenting continues, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't doing it right back to them. Isaac is the most affectionate with it, often only doing it when hugging. Erica and Boyd are more discreet in their attempts, but it doesn't go unnoticed or unwanted. Even after I brought it up with Scott, he still has yet to do it, and I know that he can smell the others on me all the time. His nose wrinkles when I sit too closely, but I don't care anymore. It calms them down almost as much as it calms me. Scott doesn't come around as much as he used to, but then really since he was turned, he hasn't been around all that much anyway.

Dad hasn't really known what to make of them though. Isaac he is still weary of, but the fact that I have friends over doesn't go unnoticed. He relaxes more, and we have actually started talking again. That is another reason why I have been so calm. Having them there has eliminated the need for lying. And that is a huge weight off my chest.

So I decided that on a night when my dad had to work the late shift, I would bring him supper. He takes a bite of his burger and grimaces. "Oh, what the hell is this?"

"Veggie burger."

"Stiles I asked for a hamburger."

"Well, veggie is healthier. We're being healthy." I hold up the salad I got for myself. He probably won't be happy that he has veggies instead of fries. Oh well.

"Why are you trying to ruin my life?" He says it like a petulant teenager, it is quite funny actually.

"I'm trying to extend your life, okay? Could you just eat it, please? And tell me what you found." I point to the board behind him that I have been looking at closely since I entered his office.

"No, I'm not sharing confidential police work with a teenager."

So I go for obvious, and try and lead him into it. "Is that it on the board behind you?"

"Don't look at that."

"All right."

"Avert your eyes."

"Okay." I keep looking. I can't help it.

"Hey! Avert."

"It's just I see arrows pointing at pictures." Damn ADHD.

"Okay, okay, stop. Fine. I found something." Now he has my complete undivided attention. "The mechanic and the couple who were murdered, they all had something in common."

"All three?"

"Yeah. You know what I always say. One's and incident, two's a coincidence."

"Three's a pattern."

"The mechanic, the husband, and the wife. All the same age. All twenty-four. "

"Wait a minute, what about Mr. Lahey? Isaac's dad isn't anywhere near twenty-four."

"Which made me think that either A, Lahey's murder wasn't connected, or B, the ages were a coincidence, until I found this, which would be C." He hands me a folder. I open it up and find a document about Isaac's older brother. "Did you know that Isaac Lahey had an older brother named Cameron?"

"'Died in combat'?"

"But if he were alive today, take one guess how old he'd be."

"Twenty-four." We both step up to look at the board that dad put together. "Now, what if same age means same class? Did you think of that?"

"Yeah. Well I would've. I mean we just got Lahey's file two hours ago."

"Same class." We start to go through more files on the deceased. "Okay this is it, class of 2006. They all went to Beacon Hills."

"Including Isaac's brother."

"All right, but so what if they all knew each other, you know. I mean two of them were married, so maybe they all just hung out."

"Well, they could have had the same classes together. They could've…"

"What?"

"Same teacher." Dad points out a name.

"Harris. They were all in his class?"

"All four. And I don't know how Mr. Lahey fits in, but this, kid, this is defiantly a pattern. All right give me the 2006 year book. These names, we need faces."

"Which ones?"

"Everyone in that Chemistry class. If the killer's not done killing…"

"Then one of them is next."

"Yeah." I stay and help dad put faces to names for the rest of the night. He sends me home about ten and I am reluctant to go. This is the longest we've talked in what feels like weeks. I am so glad to be helping him. Isaac texted me and told me that Erica and Boyd would be over later but he had to go with Derek, to meet up with Scott and Dr. D. He is going to help us. And that surprises me. I feel like every time he says he will help, he leaves us with more questions than answers. But at this point any help is welcome.

About half way home Allison calls me. "Hey, you busy?"

"Nah, just on my way home."

"You seem like you're in a better mood."

"I am. My dad just let me help him with the case. With all the murders. He let me see the connections that I have been missing. And I don't have to lie to him so that is a major plus."

"I'm glad. I know I didn't say anything, but I could tell that it has been bugging you."

"You are probably the only one besides Derek's pack. So what's up? I am guess this isn't just a call to hear the wonderful sound of my voice?"

She laughs. "No." She gets a bit more serious. "My dad just took me to the hospital and showed me the husband and wife. And then he went on to confront me about the Kanima and its master. He said that I should tell him if I know who it is. I know who we suspect it is, but I didn't want to say anything without proof. Plus I was hoping that we might be able to take care of it, so no one has to die. Gerard and my dad are more shoot first, ask questions later. And later might be too late."

"Agreed. Thanks for telling me."

"No problem…. Have you talked to Lydia lately?"

"No, she has been kinda distant though."

"Yeah, she just seems really distracted. I don't know what's up. Do you think we should be worried?"

"Normally I would say no, but now… I have been getting bad vibes all the time. And I don't know where from. Something is going to happen, something major, and I don't know what it is."

"I think I know what you mean. Guess the best we can do is keep an eye out on her, and on everything else."

"Yeah. I guess."

"Well I will see you in school tomorrow."

"Okay sounds good. Bye." I hang up and keep going home. I wasn't lying when I said that I have been getting bad vibes. Even though things with the pack have been awesome, there is still an unease in the air. I must be hiding it well enough though, because they don't seem to feel it and I don't want to pass it along. When I get home, Erica and Boyd are waiting outside for me, and I lead them upstairs were we hang out and watch a movie before they have to leave. Then I strip and go to bed. I am sad that I haven't really seen Derek since Erica was attacked, but I know that he is working hard to make sure that no one gets hurt by the Kanima. I just wish he would want to see me as much as I want to see him.

…

We run into Matt on the way into school the next day. Actually Matt comes up to us. I swear this guy is trying way too hard to be 'innocent'. I kind of freak out on him. I tell Scott again how much I dislike and distrust Matt, but he waves me off, and I ask him if he is sure that he should go to this rave. And of course he says yes. There is no way I can get the money to go, so I am trying to think of something else I can do to help.

Jackson missing morning practice does not go unnoticed. In fact Coach is pretty livid about it. "I thought I told you to keep an eye on him."

"Stilinski! Jackson?"

"Sorry Coach, I haven't seen him since the last time I saw him."

"And when was that?"

"Last time I saw him was definitely the time I saw him last." He then asks Danny to give him a message. And we ask Danny for his tickets. But he can't cause he has a date. Then Isaac comes up behind us, and grabs Scott harshly while just putting a hand on my shoulder. "How do you even survive?" He looks at Scott not at me. He thinks I do okay. I can't help but laugh a little.

"What are we supposed to do? No one's even selling."

"Wait here boys." He pats me chest, and moves off with a gleam in his eye. I can tell this won't end well. I really wish he wouldn't do this. But at the same time I can't help but smile. He goes over to two guys on the team and knocks them around, and hands us their tickets. "Enjoy the show." He walks off and sends a wink my way. I just look at Scott and move off to get my shit together.

Scott gets a message from Allison and goes off to meet her. About twenty minutes later Allison texts me.

'do u know what Scott just asked me 2 do?!'

'No what?'

'He wants me to be seen dating other people!'

'What!?'

'Yeah! I dont know if I can do this…'

'Why did he ask you 2?'

'Something about my mom and pencils'

'What did you say?'

'That I kinda already had a thing planned with Matt. And he was way too happy about it. He even said I could kiss him.'

'I have no idea where he is coming from. But you know Scott. He doesn't always think his plans through all the way'

'Yeah I suppose'

'Don't worry. Everything will be okay. I hope.'

'Me too.'

I feel bad for Allison. Scott really doesn't know how to make things easier. He just keeps making them harder. But when he asks me to go with him to Deaton's after school I don't say no, I just ask why. And he says that Deaton requested me. I don't really know how to take that, so I hope it is something good.

He starts rooting around in his medicine cabinet and comes back with a vial of something. Scott recognizes it. "Ketamine?"

"It's the same stuff we use on dogs, just a higher dosage." He sets it down on the table. "If you can get close enough to Jackson, it should slow him down enough to buy you some time. This is some of what you will use to create the barrier. This part is for you Stiles. Only you."

"Uh, that sounds like a lot of pressure. Can we maybe find a slightly less pressure-filled task for me?"

He continues like I said nothing. I half expect this kind of thing to happen now. "It's from the mountain ash tree."

"I know that name. Isn't it believed in some cultures to act as protection from the supernatural?"

He looks pleasantly surprised. "Why yes it is. This office is lined with ash wood making it difficult for someone like Scott to cause me any trouble."

"Okay, so then what? I just spread this around the whole building and then either Jackson or whoever's controlling him can't cross it?"

"They'll be trapped."

"Doesn't sound too hard." I look at Scott lifting an eyebrow.

"Not all there is. Think of it like gunpowder. It's just powder until a spark ignites it. You need to be that spark, Stiles."

"I'm not sure I get what you mean."

"Let me try a different analogy." Because nothing can be straight up said with this guy. "I used to golf. I learned that the best golfers never swing before first imagining where they want the ball to go. They see it in their mind and their mind takes over. It can be pretty extraordinary what the force of your own will can accomplish."

"Force of will." I nod and look down.

"Hey, if this is going to work, Stiles, you have to believe it." I take a deep breath. I am not sure I believe it, but if this is essential then I will do it. I make a mental note to do some research why it has to be me to set the line. He was pretty intense when he said that. So I will just have to believe. I can do that. Right? Allison is helping the Hunters tonight. She wants to help, but is losing options fast. I don't blame her. And if we can get whoever is controlling the Kanima caught, then all the better.

…

I am rushing out the door to get to the rave when my dad pulls up. "Hey, can't talk. Got to run." But then I notice that dad doesn't look so good. "Hey, wait, wait, wait. What's wrong?"

He stops and turns to look at me. "Nothing." I look him over and notice something missing.

"Where's your gun?"

"I left it at the station along with my badge."

"What?" This is what I have been secretly dreading. After the restraining order, I thought this might come next.

"It's all right. You know what? We'll talk about this later."

"Dad."

"Don't worry about it."

"Dad!" I want to know now, why. What the exact reasons are that he was let go from his job. I know it was my fault, I just need to hear him say it for some reason.

"It was decided that the son of a police chief stealing police property and having a restraining order filed against him by one of the town's most respected attorneys did not reflect well on the county."

"They fired you." I can feel the rawness creep into my voice as the guilt wells up inside me.

"No. Look, it's just a leave of absence. It's temporary."

"Did they say it was temporary or…"

"Actually, no. You know, it's fine. Don't worry about it. Hey. We're going to be fine." He turns and starts to walk away.

"Dad." I want him to yell at me. I want him to be mad at me. "I don't get it. Why aren't you angry at me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I don't want to feel any worse than I already do by having to yell at my son." He walks into the house and closes the garage door. I can feel the tears well up in my eyes. I want him to yell at me. I want him to ground me. I want him to do something other than go in the house and get out the bottle of whiskey and drink himself into unconsciousness. I know that is what is going to happen. I am going to drown myself in guilt. I don't know what to do. The Kanima is killing people, but through my own stupid actions, I got my dad fired from his job. And on top it all off, I have to suppress all this so I can just get through tonight. I don't know how I am going to do it. I don't really have a choice though do I? I have already dug myself so deep there really isn't another way out.

I get Scott and we head to the warehouse where the rave is. I don't say anything the whole way there, and Scott notices. This is probably the first time he has noticed something off with me in a few weeks. So when he asks me if I am okay I say I'm fine. "Why?"

"It's just, you didn't say anything the whole way here."

"No, I'm fine." I don't know if I have just gotten really good at lying to werewolves, or if Scott is just doesn't care about the transparent lie I just told. But he doesn't say anything further. Normally he would be bugging me to tell him what's up. But not anymore. Not lately. I don't even have the energy to be mad. I just grab the bags and start making the barrier, putting everything I have into believing that it will work. I block everything else out and just believe. If I do anything else at this point, I just might break down and then I won't believe in shit. Scott runs off not saying where he is going or what is up. Again, it something that I should be used to. Still stings though.

I start walking and keep a quick but even pace making sure to make the line even and complete. Not leaving any gaps. Then the gunshots start up. And I am freaking out, but I try to block it out, and keep going. The worst thing happens then, I run out. I run out. There is about fifty feet left of empty space, and am out of the mountain ash. I only have a handful left. I start to freak out even more. I am out of this damn magic fairy dust, there is gunshots going off and werewolves growling (one of which I am sure is Derek), and I don't know what to do. Deaton said just believe. "Believe. The things you can do when you just believe are extraordinary. I can do this. I believe. Just picture it and it will happen. Just imagine it working." I look over and see a bumper sticker that says 'imagination is more important than knowledge'. "Imagine." I close my eyes and start to walk, letting the ash fall from my hand slowly. I walk slowly and steadily. I open my eyes, and close them making sure I stay on course. I feel like I only walked a few steps, and I think I have failed, the last of the ash falling from my hands. But when I look down I see a complete line. I jump in wonder, I actually made it happen. I believed and it worked. But my moment of delight is short.

I go inside to check and see where Scott is with Jackson. But when I get to the room that we decided to take him to, Scott isn't there. But Isaac and Erica are. "Don't freak, it's just me. Where's Scott?" I look to Isaac.

"Don't know, he just gave us the Ketamine and went off." I just nod my head.

"Is he okay?"

Isaac approaches him. "Well, let's find out." He lets his claws out and goes to touch Jackson, but his hand is caught and gripped tightly. Isaac falls back when he gets free.

"Okay, no one does that anything like that again."

Isaac is whimpering a bit and I pull his wrist up to look at it. It should heal fine. "I thought the Ketamine was supposed to put him out."

"Yeah it was. Apparently this is all we're going to get. So let's just hope that whoever's controlling him just decided to show up tonight."

Jackson's eyes spring open. "I'm here. I'm right here with you." His damn master is speaking through him now. What the Hell! I lean forward a bit. Maybe if I can just get through to Jackson.

"Jackson, is that you?"

"Us. We're all here."

"Are you the one killing people?"

"We are the ones killing murderers."

"So all the people you've killed so far…

"Deserved it."

"See we have a little rule book that says you only go after murderers."

"Anything can break if enough pressure's applied."

"All right, so the people you're killing are all murderer's then?"

"All. Each. Every one."

"Well who did they murder?"

"Me."

"Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"They murdered me." Isaac and Erica move back to the wall. "They murdered me." He is starting to shift. He shouldn't be able to do that. Not with the drugs in his system. I start to back away too. He is slowly moving. And I think the slow movements are creepier than the faster ones.

"Okay, all right. More Ketamine. The man needs more drugs."

"We don't have anymore." Isaac holds up the empty bottle.

"You mean you've already used the whole bottle?" Then Jackson is standing, and starting to fully transform. We rush out the door and close it behind us leaning against it. But it doesn't matter. He just uses the freaking wall instead! So I run outside. I am going to have to break the line at some point. Erica and Isaac are behind me I think. But they are trapped on the inside with him.

Outside, I cross the line and run into Derek. "So we kind of lost Jackson inside, but it's…" Then they come out the door and they can't cross the line. At first I am happy, but then I want to break it and let them through. They are trapped on the inside with Jackson!

Then there is a howl. "Scott."

"What?"

"Break it!" I don't hesitate. If Derek wants it broken he has a damn good reason. I kneel down and put my hands together over the line and imagine it breaking as I separate them. And the dust moves apart as if a slight breeze blew it away. Derek rushes off as soon as the line is broken and the others come over to me. Erica looks worried. She has her phone out and tells me that Boyd is hurt and at the car. I tell her to go to him. She looks at me with thanks and leaves. Isaac sticks close to me though. We are both watching out for what is happening. It only takes about ten minutes for Derek to come running back out limping a bit with Scott who is unconscious. Isaac rushes for ward and start to help Derek carry Scott to my jeep. I open the door, and hear Isaac coughing. There must be some wolfsbane or something on Scott. I don't ask I just get over to the driver's side and get in. When they are all in I book it for Deaton's. I hear Isaac call him from the back and look over to Derek. He seems kind of out of it.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Scott should be okay too."

"What happened?"

"Argent's wife was in there with Scott. She was using a vaporizer with wolfsbane in it to kill him. When I got in there she attacked me." The look on his face is all guilt.

"What else happened?"

"I think, I think I bite her."

"You what!?"

"It wasn't on purpose. She stabbed me in the back, and the wolfsbane in the air made it hard to think and see straight. We fumbled around and… I think I bit her…" The look on his face is not good.

"Okay so she will become a wolf, right?" The look intensifies. "Right?"

He shakes his head. "Most Hunters, if they are bitten… kill themselves before the full moon."

I feel like a goldfish. Allison's family are some of the strictest Hunters. They would definitely follow through on that tradition. "I have to tell Allison. I bet they will try to spin this on us. Make it our fault. She is already on the brink of choosing sides in this. She is being pressured from both. This may be the thing that breaks her." I pull out my cell and call her. She picks up.

"Stiles, I can't talk right now."

"Okay, but I need to tell you this. Are you alone?"

"Yes, what is it, is everything okay?"

"No. It isn't. Your mother tried to kill Scott." There is a gasp on the other end. "He's going to be okay. Derek got to him in time."

"Oh thank God-"

"Allison, there's more. She was using vaporized wolfsbane, and when Derek got there, she tried to kill him too. They fought, and he thinks he accidently bit her." There is just silence. "Allison."

"She was bit?"

"Yes, but you have to know, that it was an accident. He didn't mean to do it. He never meant to do it. He was just trying to save Scott. You have to believe me."

"I… I do."

"Do you know what is going to happen? Did they tell you what happens?"

"Yes. They've told me." Her voice breaks on the last words. My heart goes out to her. Her mother is going to commit suicide, and it will be a needless death. There is so much needless death going on. And there is nothing I can do to stop it.

"Allison, I am so sorry. I…" What can I say? Nothing will make this better. Nothing. It is one thing to have your parents taken from you, but to have them willingly leave, it is unbearable. There is a pause where neither one of us say anything.

"I have to go. Gerard's on his way back. I'll talk to you later. And… tell Derek I don't, I don't blame him. I am still on your side. No matter how it may appear. Know I am on your side." She hangs up. I put my phone down and I look back at Derek. I can tell he heard what she said, but it doesn't make a difference. He will feel this guilt, and there is nothing I can say that will make it better.

We get to Deaton's and they get Scott inside. Isaac sits down in the chair while the doc gets to work. I grab Derek's hand and pull him out into the alleyway. I can feel the tension roll off of him, and he need to get it out. As soon as we clear the door he is kicking and punching boxes and crates, anything he can get his hands on. I let him do it for a few minutes, and then I approach. As I get closer he stops and sags down to the ground in defeat. I kneel down in front of him and wrap him in my arms. He tries to resist at first, but he doesn't have any fight left in him. So I hold him until he starts to cry and I don't say a word, I just let him get it all out. His head falls into the right side of my neck and I start to scent him. At first he doesn't react and continues to cry silently until he runs out of tears. The he pulls back and looks me in the eye. It is the most vulnerable I have ever seen him. I don't know who initiates the kiss, but this one is different from the first one we shared. This one is gentle and slow. There is a passion there that simmers under the surface, but there is no burn. This one is more intense than the first one though. It holds more than just lust. I know I shouldn't be kissing him, but when his lips urge me on and deepen it, I can't resist. I give in, and I hold him to me like I might fall into the sky without him anchoring me to the earth. His tongue licks the crease of my lips and I part them, letting him in. I don't fight it; I let him dominate the kiss. He is everywhere in my mouth. I move myself so I am straddling him. The kiss goes on until neither one of us can breathe, and then further. My lungs are burning from the lack of air, but I never want to pull away. This is everything I could have wanted and more.

He pulls back suddenly and then is standing. I am dumped onto the ground and he is staring at me in confusion. I look back up at him with the same look on my face. He turns and walks away without saying anything, leaving me there alone. I start to shake and there is a hole in my chest. I am frozen in place, unable to move.

I took it too far. I kissed him and he didn't want it. I took advantage of him. I feel disgusted with myself. The tears that have been threatening to fall from my eyes all night finally make their appearance, and I cry silently, shaking, lying on the ground. I wrap my arms round myself and hold as tight as I can. It is all too much to deal with. I got my father fired from his job. I kissed the man I love and I used him. I let him use me when I should have stopped him. And now I lost him. The panic attack happens before I can stop it. I can't breathe. I start to hyperventilate. I can't move. I can't do anything. I just close my eyes, and let it happen. After a few minutes I feel someone pick me up and I tense under their touch. I can't look at who it is, but I can smell them. It is Derek. I don't get it. I just used him, and here he is helping me. He takes us inside and he sits against the wall on the floor, putting my back to his chest. Eventually I can feel his chest moving in even breaths, and I know to use his breathing to steady my own. It starts to work and my breathing evens out.

This is the first full on panic attack I have had since my mother died. I expect that Derek will get up now that I am breathing normally, just with a slight hitch due to my crying. But his arms wind around my waist and chest and keep me close to him. He doesn't let me go. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" I am not sure I say it loud enough, but he holds me tighter and nuzzles into my neck. I can't bring myself to look at him. So I just stay, letting him hold me, and let the tears fall. I must slip into sleep at some point, but Derek's arms never leave me. I even wake up in them.

That scares me more than I think it should. But I can't help but love the way it feels. I want to do this every morning. I try to get up, so that he won't wake to find me there, but he tightens his hold and keeps me pressed to him. I don't say anything. Sitting in his arms is the best feeling I have ever had. I want it to last as long as it can. And that only goes to mess with my head further. I should be disgusted with myself after what I did. But I just can't bring myself to feel that right now. Not in his arms, holding me.

After what must me forever he can tell that we have to go. Scott is already gone from the table in front of us, and Isaac is missing from his chair. We stand together. And I still can't meet his eyes. Then his hand pulls my chin up forcing me to look at him. He looks content. "Last, night-"

"-I'm sorry for that." I shoot my eyes down. But he pulls them back up.

"No. Last night shouldn't have happened bot not because of you. You deserve so much more than what I can offer you. You deserve someone whole, not broken. I can't give you that. And I am sorry that I have led you on, but I won't anymore. I won't keep the pack from you, but I won't do this to you again. I won't toy with your emotions. You deserve so much more…" he leans in and gives me one more chaste kiss on the lips and pulls away. By the time I open my eyes, he is gone.


	9. Chapter 9

I go home after spending another hour at Deaton's. He doesn't come back to where I am, and for that I am grateful. My mind is running through everything that happened last night, and my one sided conversation with Derek this morning. Derek thinks he is too broken for me. He doesn't think he deserves me. He doesn't think he is worth it. But he wants me. Not just his wolf. Derek wants me. But he is fighting it. How do I get him to see that we can be together? What do I do?

I go home and I start to reread the chapter about mates. Derek says that his wolf sees me as a potential mate. And that doesn't scare me so much anymore. I know what I want out of life; I had to grow up faster than most kids. I know that I want something that will be forever and that is what being a mate is. It's forever.

Then I get a call from Allison. I feel guilty for trying to solve my love life issues that I totally forgot about her, and her mom. "Hey, how are you doing?" Shitty question, but what do you say?

"Not that great. But not for the reasons you might think. I drove Matt home last night, and he forgot his camera, and I looked at the pictures. Most of them were of me. And most of them were pretty invasive. Like me at home, in my house. He took them through the window. I feel violated and there really isn't anything I can do, because we think he is the Kanima's master right? And if I get him in trouble than he might kill someone. I played it off but I don't think it really worked."

"Oh, my, God! That is so creepy. Haven't I been saying that I don't like him? He gives me that creepy vibe. I am so sorry."

"It's okay, we can handle it."

"Yeah, we can. Now as for the other thing going on? You can't be fine with it. What is going through your head?"

"Stiles, I don't really want to talk about."

"I know you don't but keeping that bottled up doesn't work. You will explode and then you may do things you regret."

"Speaking from personal experience?" She says it in an almost joking manner. She doesn't know so I don't get mad at her. 

"Yes, actually I am." I just say it like it is.

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. It's a thing, and it happened. But we aren't talking about me right now, we are talking about you. So tell me. I won't tell anyone else."

She wavers for a second. "I don't know how I am supposed to feel. I mean she tried to kill my boyfriend. Someone who I can see spending the rest of my life with. Someone I want to spend the rest of my life with." And wow, that's big. I didn't know that they were that serious. "Then when Derek, they guy that you are crushing on," So much more than a crush, "Saves Scott, he accidently bites her. I feel like I should be mad at Derek for doing it, but I know it was only to save Scott and I know he wouldn't bite someone unwillingly. My head knows that. But my heart hurts. Then there is the fact that instead of dealing with it, the answer to the problem in my family is to commit suicide. She is going to kill herself. She is going to leave me, leave us." She is crying on the other end of the phone and I really wish that I could be there to comfort her. "Why does she have to be so selfish? She doesn't have to die. But she wants to. I can't even talk to her. Lydia came over today and brought dresses for her party tonight, yeah that is still happening, and she wanted to talk to me. I know what she wanted to talk about, but I turned her away. I hate that the last memories I am going to have of her, is her trying to kill my boyfriend. So I don't know how to feel, I don't know how to act. What do I do?"

"I wish I could give you the answers you're looking for. But you have to do what is right for you. If you want to talk to her, to see if she is going to explain it, then do that. If you want to ignore her, and not have that conversation, then do that. But remember you have to live with whatever decision you make. You have to be okay with it."

"Thanks, Stiles. You always know what to say."

"I try. Now go do what you have to do. I have some things I need to get done before the party myself." We hang up and I can't look at the book with the wolf stuff in it right now. So I move on to something else I can try to do. I heard that a girl was murdered at the rave after the Kanima got out. So I now I am going to try and solve this case for my dad so he can get his job back. I have messed up so much lately, that I have to make up for it. And this is the only way I know how.

When dad walks by I try not to let the guilt spike too much. "Hey, what you doing?"

"Homework." I don't want him to get mad at me for doing this. He nods and continues down the hallway. Then comes back.

"It's spring break." I think about it for a second. It is? Wow I am really losing track of time here. Then he walks into my room. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I'm just satisfying my own curiosity." He shuts the yearbook I was looking at closed. He is going to want me to stop. I can tell. But I won't.

"We brought Harris in for questioning this morning. They brought him in."

"And?"

"And they're working on a warrant to arrest him for the murders."

"For all of them?"

"Enough of them."

"With what proof?"

"You remember the couple at the trailer? The tire tracks nearby match Harris's car."

"That's not enough." I open the yearbook back up to keep looking. And he closes it again. "The same car was also seen outside the hospital where the pregnant wife was killed. It's got some bumper sticker on it, a quote from Einstein." 

"Wait what quote?" The one I saw last night, it was a quote from Einstein. Can't be a coincidence.

"Something about imagination and knowledge."

"'Imagination is more important than knowledge.' Yeah I saw the same car parked outside the rave."

"That means you're a witness. You're going to have to give a statement."

"But what about the concert promoter, Kara? She wasn't in Harris's class, right? I mean what does Mr. Lahey have to do with Harris?"

"It doesn't matter. The tire tracks put Harris at the site of three murders. That's damning evidence."

"No, it's not enough." I go and open the yearbook again.

"I thought you hated this guy."

"I don't hate him, all right? He hates me. And you know, if he killed them all, then yeah, lock the psycho up. But there's something missing. There's gotta be something missing." I start to flip through the yearbook quickly scanning every page before I flip to a new one. I don't think it is Harris. I still think it's Matt. I just don't have the evidence to prove it.

"Hey. Hey!" I stop and look at him. "You don't have to solve this for me."

"No. I have to do something." Then he gets this look on his face. "What?"

"Look at the swim team." I look down and I see all of their faces.

"Dad the coach. It's Isaac's dad." After this new information, dad goes into the station to let them know that he found the connection of all the murder victims. I don't think it will help Harris any, but it may lead them in the right direction. But now it is time for me to get ready for Lydia's party. I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach that things are going to go south, but Lydia has been off of our radars for the last few days. Allison hasn't really talked to either, except this morning I guess. The pack won't be there because it is their first full moon. Hopefully Derek can handle them. So I am going to go, and not get drunk, and keep my eyes and ears open.

…

I get to the party, and it has started, but barely anyone is there. Lydia seems back to normal, so I don't question it, even though I am getting a sense that she is nervous, almost afraid. I don't know what to make of it so I just go and find Scott who should be here already. "So, have you seen Jackson anywhere?"

"No. Seen Allison?"

"No, but we should tell her what we found."

"I'm still kind of not sure what we found."

"I figured out it has something to do with water. You know, the fact that all the victims were on the swim team, the way the Kanima reacted around the pool."

"So, whoever's controlling the Kanima really hates the swim team?"

"Hated the swim team." He needs to keep up here. We are running out of time. "Specifically the 2006 swim team. So maybe a teacher, or like, a student back then. Who are we missing? What haven't we thought of?" I still think this has something to do with Matt, but there is no connection. At least not one I can think of. Maybe I should ask Isaac. I really don't want to, especially the double whammy of his dad and his brother. Which are both dead. Yeah I want to avoid that if I can.

Allison finds us as we come outside. She and Scott share a smile but it is strained. Scott is really testing all of his relationships lately. "Uh, Jackson's not here." At least she is still in the plan."

"Yeah, no one's here."

"Maybe it's just early." I don't think Scott is right though. Ever since she has started to have her freak outs, people have been avoiding her.

"Or, maybe nobody's coming because Lydia hasn't been all there lately. With all of the stuff she has been through, I can't really blame her for freaking out. But She isn't the most popular person anymore either."

"Well we have to do something. He helped us with the bestiary and had been dealing with this stuff before she knew what was going on."

"And we have kind of ignored her for the last few days."

"Well Stiles, she did ignore you for the last ten years." Yeah he still has no clue. Allison looks at me like she wants me to say something, but I am not ready to yet. Scott hasn't earned it in my opinion.

"I like to think of it like I just haven't been on her radar."

"We don't owe her a party." And Scott just continues to be a jack ass.

Allison looks just at pissed as I feel, "What about the chance of getting back to normal?"

"Normal?" This must have been a conversation that I was not present for.

"She wouldn't be the town wack job if it wasn't for us."

Finally Scott relents. "I guess I could use my status as Co-captain to get the lacrosse team here."

"I know some people who can get this thing going. Like really going."

"I met them the other night. Let's just say they know how to party." The drag queens will be perfect. They will invite a bunch of people, and I don't think Lydia really cares who is there as long as there are people at her party. When they get there about an hour later, the party is really in full swing. Lydia is playing host and handing out drinks at every chance she gets. I have been nursing the same drink all night, but I notice that Lydia isn't drinking at all. I smell the punch, but don't smell anything off about it. Other than the slight burn of alcohol. Allison is sticking close to Lydia, and I walk off with Scott. He is watching her closely though. "So are you going to apologize to her or not?"

"Why should I apologize?"

"Well first of all because you're the guy. And secondly, oh, I don't know… maybe because you told her to date and kiss other people! What were you thinking? She is head over heels for you, and you told her to be with someone who isn't you. How do you think she feels about that?"

"I'm not apologizing. I did it to help throw suspicion off us. She knows that."

"Is that the full moon talking, buddy?"

"Probably. Why do you care anyway?"

"Because, Scott, you are both really close friends, and something has to go right here. We are getting our asses royally kicked, if you haven't noticed. People are dying, I got my dad fired, you're gonna be held back in school. I'm in love with someone who keeps playing hot and cold, and if on top of all of that, I gotta watch you lose Allison to a creepy stalker like Matt, I'm gonna stab myself in the face."

"Don't stab yourself in the face."

"Why not?"

"Because Jackson's here." I look over and sure enough there he is. Lydia hands him a drink. And then goes back to filling up cups. The bad feeling I was having, yeah, it only gets worse. I leave Scott and go over to Allison.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Okay. I guess."

"Everything at home okay?" I don't want to ask outright but I want her to know I care.

"Not really. I kind of talked to her, but she didn't say anything about what is going to happen. And I am expecting a call any time now. I didn't say anything either though. I didn't want to let them see that I knew. I kind of feel sick to my stomach."

"Get out of here. I am sure that Lydia will understand. We can tell her tomorrow, and she won't blame you." She looks around for a second. "You aren't having fun anyway. Just go. If she asks I will let her know."

"Thanks Stiles." She leans in and gives me a hug, "Scott doesn't deserve you for a best friend."

"Well if he doesn't deserve me as a friend, then he definitely doesn't deserve you as a girl friend." She giggles a little, but it is almost humorless. She squeezes my arm and makes her way out.

Then I turn back to the party, and it is starting to get a little out of hand. I see Scott and go over to check on him. He is not looking the greatest either. "You feeling okay?" I take another sip from my drink. It tastes really good, but I know I can't have more. Especially since it seems to be much stronger than I originally thought.

"It's not the moon. It's different." Then I hear my dad's voice and turn to see him standing there talking with a bottle of Jack in his hand.

"Why am I wearing black? What are you an idiot? I just came from a funeral. You know people wear black at funerals. Get out of my face." He pushes the guy that he was talking to, and then turns to face me. "It's you. It's all you. You know, every day I saw her lying in the hospital bed dying… I thought how am I supposed to raise this stupid kid on my own? This hyperactive little bastard who keeps ruining my life?" Everyone is staring at me, and this can't be real. This can't be happening. "It's all you. It's all you, Stiles." He says my name like it's a swear word. "You killed your mother. You hear me? You killed her. And now you're killing me." He throws the bottle in his hand and I duck behind the pillar, but when I look up there is no smash, and he isn't there. It was a hallucination. I look at the last bit of punch in my glass, and head over to the punch bowl. There is wolfsbane in the punch. This is bad. I have to find Scott. I have to find Lydia. Why would Lydia do this? This has to be about what has been going on with her.

The mass of bodies is too hard to navigate. I can't find any of them. I am glad that Allison decided to go home. I text her about the hallucination and she says she knows, it happened to her too. I finally find Scott and he is out of it. I think he is actually drunk. The wolfsbane was obviously enough to affect him too. He is sitting next to the pool, and not responding to me, so I dunk his head in and pull him out. He seems to sober up after that and we split up to look for Lydia. But she is nowhere to be found. I meet back up with him outside. "Anyone who drank that crap is freaking out.

"I can see that."

"What the hell do we do?"

"I don't know, but we gotta…" he breaks off because a couple people have picked up Matt and he is screaming that he can't swim. And he really does start to go under. Before Scott or I can react, Jackson is there. He pulls Matt out and gets him standing. Some people are laughing at him, and others are just staring. When he walks past us to leave he has this evil look on his face. and then the sirens start up. We rush out side and when we get there Matt is standing in the street and the Kanima is crouched in front of him possessively. And then they are just gone. I knew he was the Kanima's master. I knew it. I'm not happy about it, but I knew it.


	10. Chapter 10

Scott and I book it back to my house from the party. My dad is up waiting for us when we get there. He probably heard that the party got busted. He still has a few friends down at the station. So it's not hard to convince him to come up to my room so Scott and I can fill him in on what we now know to be true. We are only missing motive. I open the yearbook and show him Matt's picture.

"So this is the kid that is killing everyone?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Why won't he believe me? Oh yeah…

"Dad, come one. Everybody knows that the police look for ways to connect victims in a murder, okay? So all you have to do is, like, look through their transcripts and figure out which class they all had in common."

"Yeah, except the fact that the rave promoter, Kara, wasn't in Harris's class."

"All right, okay, you're right, sorry. Then I guess they just dropped the charges against him?"

"No, you know what? They're not dropping the charges. But that doesn't prove anything. Scott do you believe this?"

"It's really hard to explain how we know this, but you just gotta trust us. We know it's Matt." Scott is being awful quiet, but I guess I am kinda freaking out here. I just want Matt to be taken into custody, so we can save and cure Jackson.

"And he took Harris's car, okay? Look he knew that if a cop found tire tracks at one of the murders, and enough of the victims were in Harris's class, that they'd arrest him."

'All right fine. I'll allow the remote possibility, but give me motive. I mean why would this kid want most of the 2006 swim team and its coach dead?"

"That I have no idea about. But why would Harris?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"We need to look at the evidence."

"Yeah, that would be in the station, where I no longer work." I wince at those words. The guilt had never really gone away so it just rears its head again.

"Trust me, they'll let you in."

"Trust you?"

"Yes, trust me. I know I haven't been worthy of your trust for a while now dad, but trust me in this. I can't explain everything. It is too dangerous for you to know. Not yet. So just please trust me."

My dad stares at me for a few minutes. I know he is using his detective skills on me. And that makes me feel terrible. The fact that he had to use them on me, well it doesn't bode well for our father/son relationship. But he does give in.

We head to the station, and the guard on duty at the desk concedes to let us back. Just like I knew they would. So we go to dad's office. Old office. Hopefully office again soon and start watching the hospital footage from the night the lady was killed in the hospital. Matt was the one who had to kill her, Jackson couldn't do it. All the shots of him are the back of the head so when we see one of him talking to Scott's mom, he calls her to ask. Then he sends a pic of Matt and she says that she recognizes him. And we finally have enough to go for a warrant. Scott calls his mom back to let her know that she needs to come in and make a statement. And I head off to the front desk to let them know to let Scott's mom in when she gets here. Only when I get to the desk, there is no one there. And the place is silent. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I get out my track phone and tell Allison that shit is possibly going down, and that her assistance is requested. I want to send one to Derek, but I don't because he is going to have his hands full with his new Betas. It is Erica and Boyd's first full moon, and Isaac's second. And from the way Scott, was, well it was no picnic in the park, that's for sure.

I step forward and see the lady that was behind the desk on the floor with claw marks in her chest. And then I turn and see Matt standing there with a gun pointed at my face. He just points to go back to my dad and Scott. I am freaking out so much in my head at this point. I don't know what to do. My dad cannot die. I won't let it happen. Dad and Scott looked about as shocked as I did. I can't believe that Matt got this ballsy.

"Matt? It's Matt, right? Matt, whatever's going on, I guarantee you there's a solution that doesn't involve a gun."

"You know, it's funny you say that, because I don't think you're aware of just how right you are."

"I know you don't want to hurt people."

"Actually, I wanna hurt a lot of people. You three weren't on my list, but I can be persuaded. And one way is to try dialing somebody on your cell phone, like McCall is doing." I look back at Scott, I want to hit him. Really! You are going to antagonize the guy with a gun! "That could definitely get someone hurt. Everyone. Now!" I take out my normal phone and set it on the desk. The other is on silent, like always, and is sitting in my back pocket. I don't think he will notice it, and I am going to try and keep it there. He has me lock my dad up in the holding cell area, and on one hand I am relieved, but on the other, I am afraid. I know Jackson is around her somewhere, and if he hurts my dad, I will end him. It doesn't matter if he was aware of it or not. As we walk back to the office, we see three dead bodies in the hallway. That brings the total body count of the night up to four. At this point I don't even know what Matt wants.

We end up back in the office and he has us shredding documents and delete files. Anything that will get rid of the evidence. It's a good thing I am good with computers though, not as good as Danny, but I have picked up a few tricks. I am not just delete files, but I am copying them first and sending them to my dad's computer at home. He had his linked up a long time ago to help him work from home and be there more with me. "Deleted. And we're done. And, so Matt, since all the people you brutally murdered deserved it because they killed you first, whatever that means, we're good here right? I'll just get my dad, and we'll go, you know, you continue the whole vengeance thing. Enjoy the Kanima." Then a car pulls up. Damnit!

"Sounds like your mom's here, McCall."

"Matt don't do this." Yes, cause reasoning with a psychopath has helped us so much in the past. "When she comes to the door, I'll just tell her to leave. I'll tell her we didn't find anything. "Please, Matt." And now we have gone to begging. Really? What do you think is going to happen?

"If you don't move, now, I'm gonna kill Stiles first, and then your mom." We move to the front door, and when Scott opens the door of the office, it isn't his mom, it's Derek. I feel a sense of relief wash over me at the same time dread creeps into my bones. And rightly so. Derek falls forward, I try to stop his fall, but Matt and his damn gun are pointed at me. So I have to let him hit the floor. And Jackson half Kanima-ed out is standing there. Fuck my life! This is going to horribly wrong. I hope Allison gets here with reinforcements soon. Not that I want the Hunters here, but at this point I'm not sure we will make it out of this alive.

Jackson moves to stand behind us, and Matt leans over Derek. The urge to rush forward and crouch over him protectively is in the back of my head. I am pretty sure what I know that means at this point, but now is defiantly not the time to deal with it. "So this is the one controlling him? This kid?"

"Well Derek, not everyone's lucky enough to be a big, bad werewolf. Oh, yeah, that's right. I've learned a few things lately." He turns back to us looking smug. I want to wipe that look of his face so much. I would even use my own blunt human nails to do it. Why am I so angry? "Werewolves, hunters, Kanimas. It's like a freakin' Halloween party every full moon. Except for you, Stiles. What do you turn into?"

"I don't turn into anything, I'm just a witch in the local coven. Be careful or I'll turn you into a toad." Then Matt nods at Jackson and he cuts the back of my neck, making me fall to the ground. But Derek is right in front of me, so guess where I fall. On Derek. There are worse places I could be. Really. He is warm, muscly, smells really good. I can't really complain over all. Just the whole not moving thing, that really sucks. But then maybe that isn't such a bad thing. Being this close would normally cause a certain reaction below the belt line that I would rather like to avoid at this current time.

"Get him off of me." And Of course Derek doesn't want me to be on him. Well he does, he just won't admit it.

Matt leans back down, "Oh, I don't know, Derek. I think you two make a pretty good pair." What's almost funny is Matt really doesn't know how close to the truth he is. That is also a good thing. "It must suck, though, to have all that power taken away from you with just a little cut to the back of the neck. I bet you're not used to feeling this helpless."

"Still got some teeth. Why don't you get down here a little closer, huh? We'll see how helpless I am then." I don't say anything but I do chuckle a bit. Derek made a funny. It was a threat, but it was a funny none the less, one that I won't let him forget. Then another car pulls up, that has to be Scott's mom. He starts to tell Scott what to do again, but I can't keep my damn big mouth closed.

"Scott, don't trust him!" I am pulled off Derek, and onto my back. Then Matt's foot is on my neck and he is starting to suffocate me. Scott agrees to do what he wants. And Matt's foot is gone. Derek was growling the whole time, but he couldn't do anything. I just try to remain as calm as possible. I can't do anything, so it is out of my hands at this point. He takes Scott up front, and Jackson moves me and Derek back further into my dad's office. He just kinda throws us on the floor. But we are still touching, and that makes me feel a bit better, even if I can't feel it. Jackson is just standing there over us and then a gunshot goes off. "What's going on?" 

"Scott was just shot."

"What!?"

"He just shot Scott. Don't worry he'll heal."

"I know he will. But his mom. Oh my God. This is so not good. We are so fucked." Derek doesn't say anything in response, and I don't expect him to. That is our situation. Fucked. Then they come back into the office and Matt starts talking about wanting the bestiary. Too bad we don't have it on us. I look over at Derek, and he is looking back at me. Then Matt lifts his shirt and there is a scaly pattern all over him. I know exactly what is going on. I read the entire section of the bestiary about the Kanima. And this is bad. Really bad. He started killing people that didn't deserve it. He killed someone. When you break the rules, well let's just say Karma's a real bitch, and when you throw her off kilter, she has a way or righting herself out. Matt is becoming a Kanima. Dem's da Rules. Matt takes Scott again and leaves us to Jackson's care.

There is a lot I want to say to Derek right now, but I know now is not the time or the place for it. I want to tell him how much of a douche bag he is, and then I want to tell him I love him. And that I wouldn't mind being his mate, that I think I already am whether he admits it or not. And I would tell him how he deserves happiness, and laughter, and a family. How I want to help give him those things. If we make it out of this alive, I will tell him. I promise myself I will. What I do say is what I have read from the bestiary and he confirms it with his own knowledge. "Oh, and just to let you know, Silver is on her way." At first he looks at me weird, then it dawns on him. And he scowls. "I texted her before you got here. I thought you would be busy tonight with the puppies."

"I was. Until Lydia showed up." Jackson turns to look at us when he says her name but then after the silence turns back.

"What was she doing there?"

"I don't know. She blew some wolfsbane dust in my face and I fell unconscious." I think I know that strain. "And when I came to, she was dragging me through my house. Over to where I buried Peter. She put my arm in the hole, and somehow he was able to use my blood to come back."

"Peter's back!"

"Shhh! Yes, there was nothing I could do. I was still affected by the wolfsbane. Then Deaton was there, and he helped me. Said I should find you as fast as I could."

"I guess that it wasn't too hard to find me since we are mates." It comes out before I even think it. I just close my eyes, and hope he didn't hear me. But seeing as he has super wolfy senses, and is like pressed against my side, I can't hope too much.

"I- How- Don't." He can't even finish a sentence. This is so not how I wanted it to go. Back to ignoring the problem. That usually works, right?

"So are we just going to lay here until he comes to kill us? When he reads the book he will." Derek takes the cue from me and runs with it.

"I am trying to get the toxin out of my system." I look down and Derek has his claws in his thigh. Well it helped with Erica, hopefully it helps here.

"Just don't die tonight." He looks over at me. "I want to kill you myself when we talk later. And we will be talking later." He just growls and looks away, but then the lights go out. And I know that Allison is here. I am not sure if I feel relieved or not. When the bullets start breaking the glass windows, Jackson moves away and Derek is on top of me. The damn fool is still trying to protect me. Then Scott is there and Derek tells him to take me and get out. "You better get yourself out too!" Scott takes me off and Jackson is following behind us. I am barely able to move my legs to help Scott shuffle me along. He puts me in the interrogation room and my head is still lolling a little bit from side to side. I am trying my best to will the toxin out of my body, but I don't think I am having much luck of it at the moment. Then feeling returns to my legs and arms and I am able to sit up. I use the wall to lean on and I start to make my way to my dad and where I think he and Mrs. McCall are. I always keep an extra cuff key on my car keys, and I am trying to make it to my dad. But I just get to the corner, and slump against the wall when Matt comes from the other direction and punches my dad in the back of the head. He falls to the ground, and then Matt goes for Mrs. McCall. Derek is there. And he starts to fight the Kanima. Derek looks okay so I hope he is able to deal with this. Matt leaves and Derek is thrown to the side. Then Scott is there and pulls Jackson off the bars of the cell where his mom is. And he is all wolfed out. Jackson leaves, and Derek goes after him. Scott follows not shortly after. All of a sudden I get a burst of energy and I am on my feet following at a bit more slowly, and when I hear Scott talking to Gerard I stop. This isn't something that should be happening.

"What are you doing here? It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"Trust me, I'm aware of that."

"I've done everything that you've asked of me. I'm part of Derek's pack, I've given you all the information you wanted, I told you Matt was controlling Jackson…" Best friend say WHAT!? He has been working with Gerard! He was betraying the pack, MY pack this whole time! He did all of this, and he didn't think that I was worthy enough to know! The rage that builds in my chest is only matched by the sadness that fills in my heart. He has lied to me, to Derek, to Allison. I don't even know what to do. We have been friends since forever. Him and me against the world. I have helped him out with all of this werewolf stuff, even though he has tried to kill me about three different times. Even though shit keeps stacking up. I haven't turned my back on him, even when it would have been so easy too. He is constantly thinking only of himself, and all the times that shit is going on with me, he just brushes it off. Like his life is more important that anyone else's. Well now that I know where we stand, I know what I have to do.

"And leave him to us." Oh yeah, they aren't done talking yet. "Help your friends. Leave Matt and Jackson to me. Deal with your mother. Go!" I move away from the hallway and back to where my dad and Mrs. McCall are. I don't let the tears that are welling up in my eyes fall. I just pull out the keys from my pocket and let Scott's mom out and she is shaken. "Mrs. M. I need you to help my dad. I know you are freaking out right now, and you are allowed. But I need you to help him. Scott will have to explain everything to you later, but for now, he needs your help. I need your help." I moved over to my dad and cradle his head in my lap. He is still breathing, and the tears that were at my eyes start to fall. I feel hands on my shoulders and then she is next to me looking over my dad. I hardly register that she says anything other than he will be fine. I hear her call an ambulance and I just sit there holding my dad crying. Eventually stronger hands are pulling at my arms and they help me to stand. They put my dad on a stretcher to take him outside.

The ride to the hospital goes by in a blur. Before I know it we are there and they rush him off to a room to look at him. But Mrs. McCall stays with me. I latch on to her and start to cry again, this time full body sobs. I would be embarrassed if I had the energy to care. We wait for what seems like forever, and eventually I get myself under control. A cup of something is pushed into my hands and I drink it but I don't even know what it is. Everyone around me thinks I am acting like this because of my dad, and part of that is true. But the biggest reason I am a wreck is because of the betrayal I feel.

Mrs. M. goes home to freak out or do whatever it is she needs to do. Eventually I am allowed in to see my dad. He is in a room and they say that he should be awake by morning. I grab his hand and hold it tightly in mine. Then I pull out my phone and call Derek. He picks up on the second ring. "We need to talk."


	11. Chapter 11

Derek tells me to let it all go, and to stay away, and then hangs up on me. I don't even know how to respond. So I call again, but this time it goes straight to voicemail. I want to feel hurt, and want to feel anger, but all of my emotions are frayed right now and I can't think anymore past my dad. I spent the night at the hospital with him, and Allison texted me to make sure that everything was okay. I ask her just to come to the hospital so I can explain what happened, and so she can tell me about her mom. When she gets there I leave my dad's room and head for the cafeteria. There is no way I am not sleeping tonight so I might as well get some caffeine in me. After we have our coffee, we move to a secluded table in the already empty room. "Before I tell you what went down at the station, well… How are you?"

"I'm not so great." I let her gather thoughts before she continues. "They told me she died, and then Gerard gave me this letter that was supposedly written by her, but I could tell it wasn't her hand writing. He wanted me to think that all of this was Derek's fault. He is trying to emotionally blackmail me."

"That doesn't really surprise me at this point."

"Me either." She takes a breath. "I played into it, and made them think that I am all out for Derek and his pack, but really I was just trying to find a way to get them there to help you guys out. We did help right? I mean, everyone is okay?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Derek got there after I texted you, but was rendered useless by Jackson right away, then I was right after that. I don't know what all happened with _Scott, _but right now I don't really care. His mom saw Derek and Jackson fighting, and him all wolfed out. So she is really shaken up right now, and my dad was knocked out by Matt." She gives me a look when I say Scott's name. I guess I did kind of snarl a bit and his name leaves a bit of a bitter taste on my tongue. "Oh and the biggest kick to the balls of the whole night was when I heard your boyfriend admitting to scheming with your grandfather." She gasps and there are tears in her eyes.

"He wouldn't."

"Oh, but he did. He joined Derek's pack on Gerard's orders. He passed information to Gerard. He told Gerard that Matt was the one controlling the Kanima. He betrayed my trust. He betrayed our friendship. Everything. He betrayed us all. I don't even care why he did it at this point. He should have told me. He should have told you. He knew that we were fighting this together. All of us, together. But he didn't." I can feel the tears in my eyes again, but I just blink them away. I am done crying over this. I just feel numb. Allison does start to cry though. I move to sit by her and put an arm around her. "Don't worry. I have a plan. I am not going to let us all go down in this." She doesn't say anything, but she does turn to give me a hug. Eventually her tears dry up and gets up and goes home saying that she'll keep me in the loop and trying her best to hold herself together. She got hit with a double wammy tonight. Her mother's death and Scott's betrayal.

All I can do is head back to my dad's room and wait for him to wake up. But he doesn't wake up before it's time to go to school, so I am forced to leave and I tell the nurses to let me know when he is awake. I go to school but don't really register anything. When I come home and dad is there sitting on the couch and I give him a tight hug. He wasn't injured enough to warrant more than an overnight stay at the hospital, but I will be taking extra care of him here at home. The next few days blur together but it's the weekend so it doesn't matter too much.

Monday back at school right after the first bell rings, I am paged to go to the guidance counselor's office. I bring my lacrosse stick with me and start to restring it. It will give my hands something to do and maybe I can actually talk about that night at the station. I know that is what they want me to do. Don't know if I will be able to, but I think I might try.

When I get in there, I sit down, and Ms. Morell doesn't say anything. So I start to ramble. It's what I do best. "You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called voluntary apnea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then when you finally do let it in that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's actually kind of peaceful."

"Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?"

"I don't feel sorry for him." It's the truth. I don't. Not after what he did.

"Can you feel sorry for the nine-year-old Matt who drowned?"

"Just because a bunch of dumbasses dragged him into a pool when he couldn't swim, doesn't give him the right to go off killing people one by one. I feel bad for the kid he was, but not for how he turned out to be. And by the way, my dad told me they found a bunch of pictures of Allison on Matt's computer. And not just of her though, I mean he Photoshopped himself into these pictures. Stuff like them holding hands and kissing. You know like he had built this whole fake relationship." I still haven't told Allison about that. I am kind of hoping that the cops do. I don't want to be the one to break that to her after what she had to go through. "So yeah, maybe drowning when he was nine years old was what set him off the rails, but the dude was definitely riding the crazy train."

"One positive thing came out of this, though. Right?"

My dad got his job back as Sheriff. Apparently when you solve who has been murdering people, and your screw up of a son helps, it deems you worthy again of holding the title. Don't get me wrong, I am happy he has his job back. But the guilt that he lost it because of me in the first place still gnaws at me. "Yeah, yeah. But I still feel that there is something wrong between us. There is this tension when we talk. I know why, but I don't know what to do about it. And then there's Scott." I still bite out Scott's name. I don't know if I can forgive him this.

"Have you talked to him since that night?"

"No. And I don't plan to. But he has his own problems to deal with anyway. He hasn't talked to Allison either. But that is more her choice. Her mom dying hit her pretty hard. But it has brought her and her dad closer. And she is still talking to me."

"What about your other friends, Lydia, Jackson?"

"Jackson, he hasn't really been himself lately. Actually the funny thing is, as of right now, Lydia is the one who seems the most normal." And she is the one who fed us wolfsbane punch and helped raise a dead Peter back from the grave. I haven't been able to talk to her. Her mom kept everyone away from the house all weekend, and she didn't show up for school today. She isn't responding to our texts or calls. I am starting to get worried. No, I am worried. I am in a constant state of worry at this point.

"And what about you Stiles? Feeling some anxiety about the championship game tomorrow night?"

"Why would you ask me that?" I pull the net away from my mouth where I was trying to tighten it. I feel like there is some foreshadowing going on here. She gives me the same vibe Dr. D. does, and I am not sure what to make of it. "Uh, no. I never actually play. But hey, since one of my teammates is dead and another one's missing, who knows right?"

"You mean Isaac. One of the three runaways." Yeah that's a thing that happened. They have been staying with Derek. Training. I was told to keep away, but I have had enough of keeping away. I need to talk to him, and I am going today after school. Maybe during. He will listen to me. I will make him. "You haven't heard from any of them have you?"

"How come you're not taking any notes on this?" Distract away from the topic at hand. One of my many talents.

"I do my notes after the session."

"Your memory's that good?"

"How about we get back to you?" Well it worked for that topic at least. I look back down to my lacrosse stick. "Stiles?" I look slowly back up. She wants an answer.

"I'm fine. Yeah, aside from the not sleeping, the jumpiness, the constant overwhelming, crushing fear that something terrible is about to happen." Cause that is my only constant right now. Has been the only one for the last few days. This terrible feeling that bad shit is about to go down, and not knowing when. It's shit.

"It's called hyper-vigilance, the persistent feeling of being under threat."

"It's not just a feeling though. It's like it's a panic attack. You know like I can't even breathe."

"Like you're drowning?"

"Yeah."

"So if you're drowning, and you're trying to keep your mouth closed until that very last moment, what if you choose to not open your mouth? To not let the water in?"

I don't think I get it. "You do anyway. It's a reflex."

"But what if you hold off until that reflex kicks in, you have more time right?"

"Not much time."

"But more time to fight your way to the surface?"

"I guess." I feel kind of wary now.

"More time to be rescued."

"More time to be in agonizing pain. And did you forget about the part where you feel like you're head's exploding?"

"If it's about survival, isn't it a little agony worth it?"

"But what if it just gets worse? What if it's agony now, and then… Hell later on?"

"Think about something Winston Churchill once said, 'If you're going through Hell, Keep going'." I don't really have anything else to say after that. I don't know what else there is to say after that. When I get up to leave she doesn't stop me. She doesn't say anything. I decide that I need to go talk to Derek right now. I text Isaac to see if they are at the abandoned train, and he says they're not. They are in an abandoned warehouse. He gives me the address and I tell him to stay there. I am on my way and I need to talk to Derek. Then I call my dad and tell him I am going home sick and to excuse me from school for the rest of the day. He doesn't really say anything, but agrees. Then I head over to where the pack is.

…

When I get there I park a bit out of the way and try to not draw any attention to myself as I approach. I get to the door and Isaac opens it before I can touch the handle. He pulls me in, shuts the door and draws me into a fierce hug. I return it with vigor, and we begin to scent one another. My racing heart begins to slow. I pull back and step further into the open space. Derek is sitting there going through books that look really old and well read. "Derek we need to talk, now. You have been putting me off for too long."

"Just go home Stiles. Go back to Scott."

I growl at him. An actual growl comes out of my throat. I am not fazed by it. I knew that it would come with the territory, but Isaac and Derek are both looking at me now. "I am not going back to him. He betrayed me, betrayed us. I want nothing to do with him. He conspired against my pack. My mate." Isaac looks afraid now. There was an edge to my voice that matched that of what I know Derek is capable of as an Alpha. He backs off a bit, and I feel bad for scaring him, but Derek has to talk to me.

Derek looks pained. I can't tell what from, but I don't really care. "We are not mates."

"Oh I beg to differ. It took me a while to put all the pieces together, but I did. The way I know how you feel even when no one else does. The way you scented me, it's different from the others, the way it feels. The fact that I feel stronger and faster, my reflexes are better, my sight is increased just enough to make a difference. Your pack, my pack, they scent me; they come to me for help. Even when you told them to stay away from me, they couldn't. You may not have told them what we are, but they knew. You found me last night, and I bet you didn't even have to try and sniff me out. I don't know if I have hit everything that comes with this, but **you**, Derek Hale, are **my** Mate. And I'm yours. I don't care how many times you try to deny it; I don't care if you say it's not happening. It is there. I can feel the bond. And I am not afraid of it. I know why you are. But I'm not. And the fact that I overheard the same conversation between Scott and Gerard that you probably did, well how can you really think that I would go with Scott? Do you really think that low of me? What more do I have to do to prove myself to you?" I am breathing hard when I finish talking. Yelling? I think I was yelling. Derek's face is one of shock, pure unadulterated shock.

His voice is small when he finally answers me. "You don't have to prove yourself. Not to me."

"Then why won't you believe a single fucking word I say?"

"Because you shouldn't want to be here!"

"Well too fucking bad! I do want to be here. I am here. I am not going away. So you can just deal with it. You think that I shouldn't be here because I deserve better, because you don't deserve to be happy. Well guess what. You're done riding this pity train, this is the last stop. I want this Derek, I want it so bad it hurts to be away from you. It hurts to think that you don't want me here, that you won't let me be here because you are being an insipid moron." I take the few steps forward bringing myself into his personal space. And I look him in the eyes. There is emotion swimming in them, but I can't tell what it is. I put a hand at the nape of his neck and pull him into a kiss that is burning with passion, lust, need, want, hurt, and love. There is so much love. I can't contain it. One of his hands wraps itself around my waist and the other rests on my chest over my heart. The kiss stays simple in its design, but it emotes more than any kiss I have ever witnessed.

There is a burning on my chest under his palm, and eventually becomes too much and I have to pull away. I pull up my shirt to get a look at what has to be a burn mark, and what I see there brings a gasp out of me. On my chest right where my heart is, is a triskelion, the same one that is on Derek's back. I look back at him with a smug look on my face. "You just marked me. You just initiated a claim." He looks shocked. I don't think that he meant to do it. But it makes me happy. Unbearably happy. I reach up and pull him back down to me. But I don't go for his lips. I put my mouth right next to his ear. "My turn." Then I shift quickly and bring my mouth down to his neck, where his neck meets his shoulder and I bite. I bite hard enough to pierce the skin. A bit of his blood drips in my mouth, and the taste isn't at all what I thought it would be. It isn't pleasant enough that I would want to do it again anytime soon, but not so bad that I start gagging. He finally pulls back after I release his neck from my teeth. This is a mark that won't heal, the only scar on his flawless skin. "Mine." It comes out a growl, and his eyes flash that beautiful silver/amethyst when I say it. He pulls back, and I let him. He is going to need time to process this. And I get it. "I am part of your pack now. There is no going back. You are mine, and I am yours. And if you had asked me about this before, yes I may have freaked out a bit, but I want forever Derek. And I want forever with you. You can argue about it later, but it doesn't change a damn thing."

Derek doesn't say anything. And all of a sudden all that hidden emotion that was behind the veil is suddenly center stage. There are many warring emotions, but the more predominate one is love. Undiluted love. I let it wash over me and I send it all back to him. I can feel the tether to him now. It is more than just the vague feeling, I mentally grab it and send love and calm down it to him. I can tell the moment it hits him. His eyes revert to the regular forest green, and a small smile lies on his lips. It quickly turns into a scowl, but there is no anger behind it. That is just Derek's face. His grumpy sourwolf face.

Isaac finally comes out of hiding and walks over to us. He eyes Derek carefully, but then turns to me. "It's about freaking time." He wraps me in a hug that is stronger than the others he has given me. And just like that I can feel the pack bond. I can feel the line from me to Derek, but then there are three more. It makes me feel safer than I have since my mom died. He pulls back and keeps a hand on my shoulder. "I've been telling him for weeks now that he should ask you to join the pack. He said at first you were part of Scott's pack, but that didn't feel right. And every time I was around you I couldn't help but scent you. When you smelled more of Scott and Allison, it was just wrong."

"It's okay dude, I get it."

"Well now it makes sense, I guess. I mean he hasn't told us much about mates, but just hearing the word makes sense. He told us to stay away from you and we did for a few days, we didn't scent you, we didn't even touch you. But then you were attacked in the library, and we couldn't help it anymore. Instinct took over." I just laugh, but not at Isaac, I laugh at Derek and he knows it.

"See, I am irresistible. Your Betas know it. So when will you let that sink into your head?" He doesn't respond. I don't expect him too. He isn't looking at us, and I decide to test this new bond we have, I pluck on the proverbial string that connects us, and his eyes are on me instantly, and I have a grin on my face. I don't think I have stopped grinning since he claimed me. "Now that we have that settled, what are we going to do about Jackson?" My voice is more serious now. "He is going to play in the game tonight, and I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something is going to happen. I don't know what, but whatever is going on is going to end tonight. I can't explain how, I just know it."

Derek has raised eyebrows. "You have no idea what you are, do you? I thought you might have been playing it down all this time."

"What? I'm not anything… am I?"

"It isn't something I can help you with, Deaton will have to help you there. But I trust you Stiles." And his eyes bore into mine. I know he is telling me the truth. "And we will be there. Isaac is going to play in the game, and I will be in the crowd."

"What about Erica and Boyd?"

"They haven't met up with us here yet, but they will be there too."

"And Peter?" I was hesitant to ask about him. I still don't know how I feel that he is back.

"He has yet to show his face again. I am not sure what I will do when he does." Anger thrums through to me, and I send him calm and peace back. He mellows out a bit. This bond is going to come in handy.

"Okay. Then I guess I should get home, and get ready for tonight. I am called in sick after all, might as well rest up." Isaac hugs me again, and then when he pulls back, I go over to Derek and put my arms around his chest. He hesitates at first, but then wraps his arms around my back. I rest my head in the crook of his neck and he does the same to me. I can tell he is sniffing me, and scenting me, but I don't care. I feel at ease and tranquil. I hold him for a few minutes then pull away. We both have things we need to do. Before I go I softly leave a kiss on his lips. And then I am on my way home.

Checking my phone once I am home I see that I have a message from Lydia, and she asks if we can talk so I tell her to come over. I know what she wants to talk about, and I have wanted to talk to her too. She has just been avoiding everyone. It only takes her about fifteen minutes and I open the door to her and take her up to my room. As soon as I close the door she is in tears. I sit down next to her on the bed and put an arm around her pulling her up next to me. "Tell me what happened."

And she does. She tells me about how she started talking to this boy, and how he made her not feel so alone when all of this weirdness started happening. She was grateful to me, but this boy was different. Then weird things started happening. He would appear almost out of nowhere. Then when he showed her his house, she finally realized who it was. It was Peter. He was in her head, and there was nothing she could do about it. She tried to tell us what was going on, but every time she tried, he just took over and made her avoided us. Then the party happened, and she couldn't stop it. She went and abducted Derek, and helped Peter to use him. She felt so terrible about it all she holed herself up in her room and wouldn't even let her mom in. I feel so bad for her. She was just thrust into this without warning, and had no way of knowing how to handle it. I know that I don't blame her and I tell her that I don't think anyone will. "Derek might be wary of you for a while, but only because he is unsure of you."

"What do you mean unsure of me?"

"Well there has never been someone with the immunity before. Usually if you survive the bite, you are turned or you die. You lived, but didn't turn."

"He thinks I am something else. Something not human."

"I don't know. But I don't think it is outside the realm of possibility. Do you?" She takes a minute to process the information, in true Lydia fashion. Her brow scrunches, her finger comes up to tap her lip and her shoulder's tense just a bit. What? I have been watching her for close to ten years now. I know her.

"I suppose the logic is sound." And then her voice falters. "But if I'm not human, what am I?"

"That I can't answer you, but I can try to help you find the answer. Just not tonight."

"The championship game?"

"Yeah, and Jackson is playing. He is walking around school like nothing happened. I am afraid that after Matt died, the Kanima sought out a new master. And now we are back to not knowing who it is. But something bad is going to go down tonight at the game. I think you should stay home. It will be safer for you."

"Nope. I am going to that game. You can't stop me. I have been horrible the last few weeks. Not by my own volition, of course, but still. I need to make up for it. Plus if someone is going to get through to him, it will be me."

"You still love him." It isn't a question.

"Yes. And I want to help him. I just don't know how."

"Keep loving him." I don't know where that came from, but I feel like it will be important. She nods, and shows herself the way out. I fall back on my bead and it doesn't take long before I am out like a light. Guess I was more tired than I thought. Mating really takes it out of you.

…

I wake to the sound of my window opening. My eyes get adjusted to the light, and then I realize Isaac is there. The clock on my nightstand says it is only 1:00pm. I missed lunch. "Hey Isaac. What brings you here?" I can tell he is fidgety and I don't know what's wrong.

"They're leaving tonight, during the game."

"Erica and Boyd?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"They said they don't feel safe here anymore. I can't really blame them."

"Do you want to leave too?"

"Yes, no, maybe. I don't know. What would you do?" 

"I would stay. I have too many people here who need me."

"Well I guess that makes you lucky, cause I don't have anyone."

I hit him upside the head. "What are you talking about, you don't have anyone? What about me and Derek?" He looks a little sheepish then. "We are a pack, and when one member of the pack starts to doubt so do the others. Derek has been trying, I can see that. But he wasn't really prepared for the mantle of Alpha either. He didn't know he would become one. He needs our help. And I am going to give it. Where are the others?" I get my shoes on, and grab a hoodie, then head out to the jeep. Isaac is right behind me and I can feel a bit of hope coming from him. I am keeping this pack together, even if it kills me.

It takes about a half an hour to get to the warehouse. Derek is gone, but the other two are still here. I walk in and go right up to them. They already look like ashamed. Derek probably tried to convince them to stay. Probably by yelling. They stand as I get closer and I reach out like I am going to hug them, but then slap them upside their heads. "Really, leaving when shit gets tough is your answer. Running away from your problems never fixes them. Trust me I have tried." I calm my voice after that and send them calming waves through the pack bond. That gets their attention. "Oh, yeah, I am officially part of the pack now. And Derek's mate, so that means you have to listen to me. If I am going to be pack dad, then a few things have to change around here."

Erica giggles and Boyd rolls his eyes, but I think they are coming around. "I know that Derek has been hard on you. He is trying to teach you the best he can. But he is emotionally stunted and he needs help. I am going to be helping him now. You should still go to him with shit. If you don't feel safe then let him know, don't just say that you want out. That is so not cool. Plus if you leave now, you will not only be leaving Derek and Isaac, but you will be leaving me too. I can't make up your minds for you, but if you do go, know that you will be missed greatly. And not just by me. Derek chose you guys for a reason. He wanted to help you in a way that no one could really ever help him. He probably picked the three most bone-headed people I can think of, but you guys work. So please just consider staying. We could use your help at the game tonight. I would really love it if you would be there." This time I do give them each a hug and scent them. They return both and then I go to leave.

"We'll be there." I turn back to see Erica with a small smile on her face. Boyd has an arm wrapped around her waist.

"Good, I will see you tonight then."

…

Isaac and I spent the rest of the day together. He came back to my house for a bit, and then before my dad came home we left. He was still technically a runaway. Definitely had to get that cleared up tomorrow. So we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed to the game. In the locker room Scott was sending me weird looks, and I just ignored him. He hasn't tried to talk to me all week, and quite frankly, I don't want to talk to him either. I can tell he is sniffing the air. Isaac already told me that I smell like pack now, like really smell like pack. And Derek. That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Then Mrs. McCall comes in right at Coach is giving his usual speech from the movie Independence Day. I half ignore him. "What?" She taps me on the shoulder. "What is he talking about?"

"He does this every year."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Wait, is this…"

"Yeah, it's the speech from Independence Day. Coach's favorite movie."

"He doesn't know any sports speeches?"

"I don't think he cares." I don't cheer like the others do. Then Gerard is there and says a few words, and I get a spike of fear. Mrs. M. backs up and looks down at the ground. He says without actually saying, that Scott won't be playing. This is just great. And when Gerard leaves, I look back at Scott's mom. "Are you okay?"

"No."

"What happened?"

"You're principal came with that lizard thing and was threatening Scott and I." Gerard was the one now in control of the Kanima! This is bad. Like really freaking bad.

"Don't worry. We are going to take care of this. I promise." I leave her to go to my phone. Isaac is there, he heard our conversation. I text Derek, Allison, Erica, and Boyd and tell them what I just found out. Now I know something bad is going to happen. I just don't know what.

We get out on the field and Isaac and I take one side of the bench, while Scott takes another. "Your dad coming?"

"Yeah. He's already here." I look over to where he is sitting with Scott's mom. "So are Allison and Lydia. I told them both that something was going down. I tried to keep them away, but they're here anyway." And they are. They are both holding a sign that says 'Go #24!' that is my number. Usually they are rooting for Scott or Jackson. But I guess I get the honor, since Scott is being a d-bag, and Jackson is not himself.

"Whatever is going on is going to be bad isn't it?"

"People screaming, running for their lives, blood, killing, maiming kind of bad? Yeah most likely. But who knows, maybe we will get lucky." He just nods. But I need to say more. And I know Scott is listening and Isaac can tell this is more for Scott than it is for him. "The other night seeing my dad get hit over the head by Matt, you know, while I'm just lying there and can't even move, it just… I want to help, you know, but I can't do the things that you can do. I can't…" Isaac puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a half hug from the side.

"It's okay. And you are helping. You are keeping our pack together. That is what is really important. This will only make us stronger." Then Coach is there.

"Both of you get your asses on the field."

I stare at him for a moment. "I'm playing… on the field?"

"You're playing for Greenburg. He sucks, you suck…slightly less."

"I'm playing with the team?" I just can't get my head around it. I am playing from the start of the game.

"Yes, unless you'd rather play with yourself."

"I already did that today, twice." Not really, but it's funny. We all need a bit of funny right now though.

"Get the hell out there!"

"All right." I scramble for my stuff. And then I hear my dad yell that I am on the field. I chuckle to myself, and then have a minor freak out. Then Isaac is next to me saying that Gerard is threatening Scott. That if he doesn't get him Derek before the last thirty seconds of the game, then he is going to have Jackson kill someone. I knew something bad would happen today. When I scan the crowd, I don't see Erica, Boyd, or Derek anywhere. Now I am glad Derek isn't here, but that is worrying. Erica and Boyd should be here too, but I can't sense them close by. I take a minute and use the bonds that we all have to get a sense of what they are feeling. Erica and Boyd are scared. I don't know what has them like that, but it is kind of nerve wracking. Derek is more annoyed, and angry. Normally I would say that is normal, but not anymore. I hate not being able to see them. To know what is going on. So I do my best, and send them all serene thoughts and try to help them from where I am. I am not sure it gets through, but eventually they all do lessen the height of what they are feeling. Hopefully that is enough. Isaac moved away and just nod at him. "Do your best. We will be okay." I whisper it and he nods back.

The game starts and I get the ball a few times, but I freeze up. Maybe it's because of all the emotions of the others affecting me. So we don't start off so hott. And the other team ends up putting our team through its paces. Eventually he has no choice but to play Scott. Then I get knocked to the ground. And I can feel pain coming from Erica and Boyd. Isaac gets sacked next and it's by Jackson. He looks at me and rush over to him. "I think Jackson got me. I can't move my leg."

"Shit. Well, be careful." He is taken off the field, and the game goes on. Not too long after that, Scott is missing. I don't know where the hell he is, but Jackson is still playing and I can't leave myself to go look. Somehow I get the ball. And I run to the goal, the amazing part, is that I actually make it. The game continues and I bring the score back up and tie it. I don't know how or where I get this new focus from, but eventually I raise the score above the other teams. We are in the last thirty seconds. I won us the game. I scored like four times! And then I start to freak out. The lights go out and someone screams. There is someone on the ground and I can't tell who it is. A hand comes out of nowhere and starts to pull me toward the parking lot. When we get to the lot, there is light again, and I can see that there are a few Hunters there, and Gerard isn't far behind. I am so fucked.

…

Okay, so many changes! Hope you loved them all! Please tell me what you think! Next chapter is the lead in for the completely AU part of this story, also that part with have some mature content. Just so you all are forewarned. Sex will be happening people. I can only hope that I do it justice.

As always thanks for your support, and please send me feedback! I thrive on it!


	12. Chapter 12

So, here is a surprise update! I have a shit ton of good things going for me right now so I thought I would treat you guys. A possible job promotion, a possible new room mate, and you guys! Everyone who leaves a kudos or a comment fuels my drive to complete this fic series. I have started many stories, but never seen any of them through to the end. But I know I will finish this one and not leave you guys hanging any longer than the normal few days between updates.

Next update for the series is going to be Wednesday as usual, it will be called True Mates. So subscribe to me, or just watch for it!

* * *

The drive to the Argents is pretty quiet. Gerard is in the front seat and three of his Hunters are in the car too. One driving, and two on either side of me. My heart is racing, but I don't send anything but calm through the bond. The last thing I need is Derek to come in here fully wolfed out. Isaac is going to need him to deal with Jackson. I don't know what went down, but I am sure that those two will be okay. Once we reach the house, I can feel Erica and Boyd much stronger. They are close. Probably in the house too. I am thrown down the stairs and I hear a whimper. When I get the lights on I see Erica and Boyd are chained up to the ceiling. There are wires taped to them. It is sending electrical currents down through their bodies. I walk over with my finger up to my mouth. I keep sending calm thoughts too them and I try to undo the bindings, but I get shocked. And have to pull away.

"They were trying to warn you. It's electrified."

"What are you doing with them?"

"At the moment , just keeping them comfortable. There's no point in torturing them, they won't give Derek up. The instinct to protect their Alpha's too strong."

"Okay." I have to think my way out of this. I don't know how, but I need to know what he wants. "So what are you doing with me? Because they can find me. Scott knows my scent. It's pungent, you know? It's more like a stench. He could find me even if I was buried at the bottom of a sewer covered in fecal matter and urine." I know Derek can find me, and it has nothing to do with my scent. I just hope he doesn't try. I am trying to not give anything away.

"You have a knack for creating a vivid picture, Mr. Stilinski. Let me paint one of my own. Derek hale finds his True Mate bloodied and beaten to a pulp. How does that sound?"

"True Mate? What is that?"

"You don't know. I thought you were the brains of this operation. A True Alpha, with a True Mate. It is unbelievably rare. And I am going to have that power for myself. How does that sound?" It sounds like I need to do more research when I get out of here.

"I think I might prefer more of a still life or a landscape, you know? What are you Ninety? Look I can probably kick your ass up and down this room." Then he backhands me and I am on the floor. He is feeding off the Kanima. Damn it! "Okay, wait, wait, wait." Then he punches me in the face. And he keeps beating me until I am unconscious. I try to keep myself calm, and not send out any distressing feelings. He has to stay focused. He wants me to be a message. Well I will give it to him when I am good and ready. Not a moment before.

When I come around, I smell something really strong. And Chris is hovering over me with Allison and Lydia behind him. Erica and Boyd are free and healing. I sit up with Chris's help. Erica and Boyd come over and Chris backs off. They are sniffing me and whimpering, and crouched over me protectively. I put a hand on each of them and the calm down. "Why are you helping us?"

"My family has been doing this for a long time. Long enough to learn things, like how a certain level of electric current can keep a wolf from transforming. At another level, it stops the healing. A few amps higher and they lose their heightened strength. And that kind of science makes you wonder where the line of the natural and the supernatural exists. It's when lines like that blur… You sometimes find yourself surprised by which side you end up on."

"So you are going to help us now? Why should we trust you?"

"You should trust me, because through all of this, I haven't hurt any of you. I have kept up appearances, just like my daughter has, but I haven't said a word."

"But you didn't help either. You did nothing. That is almost worse."

"I know. But I am acting now. And we need to stop Gerard. I don't know what he has planned, but it isn't over yet."

"I know what he wants. He wants the bite." Allison gasps and Chris doesn't look too surprised. "You don't look shocked by that."

"I'm not. He has cancer. He is dying. The bite would cure him of it."

"That is so twisted. He has been hunting like his whole life right? And now because he is dying he wants the bite. He wants to become what he despises." The fury rolls off of me. I can tell it is affecting the Betas but this is good. I need them to be ready. "We have to stop this. Now."

Allison's phone goes off, and she looks up at me. "Stiles, they are still looking for you. Your dad is really worried."

"Damn it! I need my phone." Chris hands it over and I call Isaac. It picks up after the first ring.

"Oh thank God! Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Is Derek there?"

"No, he is with Peter, they are looking over Peter's laptop. He has something like the bestiary on it. I am with Scott though. We are at the hospital. Jackson killed himself, but he isn't really dead. He is making this cocoon around himself out of his venom, or goo, or whatever the hell you want to call it." Damn it. I know what that means. This is not good. "Scott has Derek on the phone, they just figured out what going on. It's bad. We have to get him out of here."

"Okay, I am bringing reinforcements. We will meet you in the hospital parking lot." I hang up. And stand. My legs are a little shaky at first but then the adrenaline gets pumping and I find some strength. We have to go, now. Jackson isn't dead. He is, for a lack of a better term, evolving. We need to take care of this now." I turn to Lydia. " Lyds, remember how I said to keep loving him." She nods. "Well this is your moment to save the day. Just keep loving him. You'll know what to do." She nods. "Good. Now we have to get the hospital. Probably should split up. Chris can you go there, and help the guys?" He nods. "Great, Allison, I need you to take me back to my jeep at the school. Then we will meet up with the others. You should probably arm yourselves; I think we are going to have a fight on our hands before this is solved. And so far, all of my feelings have been right." She nods as well. "Well let's get this show on the road people. The crowd won't wait forever."

We leave and once I get my jeep I text Derek to see where they are meeting up. I tell Erica and Boyd to go with Allison. And ask Lydia to come with me. I have to go and see my dad before all of this goes down. I have to let him know that I am okay. Or see him for the last time, if this all goes south. Lydia gets it. And since we are the two that will get in the way the most, I have to take her with me. There is this weird clock running in my head, and I know how much time I have before we are needed. And I have enough time for this. They don't argue. They all just keep doing what I am saying. I don't know why, but I am glad.

We get to my house and I ask Lydia to wait in the car. I go in and my dad is there, in my room. He is talking to himself. "Come on Stiles where the hell are you?"

"Right here." He comes over and sees the bruises on my face. "It's okay. Dad, it's okay."

"Who did it?"

"It's okay. I just got jumped. I started mouthing off. It's no big deal." That is the truth, if not a stretch of it.

"Who was it?"

"Dad, I don't know? I didn't even see them, really."

"I want diescriptions."

"Dad, come on. It's not even that bad."

"I am going to find whoever it is that did this to you and I am going pistol whip them-"

"Dad! I said I was okay."

"God." He pulls me in for a tight hug. My ribs start to ache where Gerard kicked me. He must have continued beating me even after I was unconscious. And I just keep hugging him I don't let him go. Lydia comes up and checks on us. I guess she thought I would be out sooner. She is just as anxious as I am to get there and help. But we still have time. Dad sees her too, but doesn't say anything. She just goes back down stairs. Dad lets me go and I go and take off my jersey. I wince a little at the tightness that pulls across my chest. Dad leaves the room but stands in the hall as I change. When he comes back in I am sitting on my bed, and he comes over to join me. "She's still waiting for you downstairs."

"Yeah."

"So, is there… anything there?"

"No, she's in love with someone else. And so am I." The last part comes out quietly. He looks at me questioningly. "I'll tell you later. It's complicated." I rest my head in my hands.

"Uh-huh. Listen I know that getting beaten up, and with what happened to Jackson, has gotten you pretty shaken. But be happy about one thing." I look over at him "The game. You were amazing." I think it's the first time I even crack a smile since the game. It is small, but I know he sees it.

"Thanks, Dad."

"No, I mean it. Look it was pretty much over. And then you got the ball and you started running. You scored, and the tide just turned. And you scored again and again." I scoff. I don't have the energy to laugh. "You weren't just the MVP of the game. You were a hero."

"No, I'm not a hero, Dad."

"You were tonight." He gets up and slaps me on the back, and walks out of the room. I'm not a hero. But I am needed. And the time on the clock is winding down. Lydia comes up and I look at her. She nods and we know that it is time to go. I grab the mountain ash that I picked up from the rave that night. We might need it.

The ride there is a quick one. I can feel pain coming through the bond of all of them. I don't know what is going on, but they are losing. Then Derek is sending nothing but rage and I am griping the steering wheel harder and harder. Lydia places a hand on my arm and somehow that pulls some of the rage away from me. Her hand tightens and I can tell she is getting angry. What the hell is going on? Then the rage is gone and shock is in its place. But I have no time to comprehend that. I ram my jeep through one of the walls and when the debris clears I see the Kanima. I have to hit him in order to give us enough time. So I go full throttle and slam into him, then slam on the breaks brining us to a stop. "Did I hit him?" I did, but then he is on the hood of my jeep. And Lydia screams. So do I for that matter and we both get out as fast as we can. She stands in front of him, and hold up the key to his house. He starts to come out of it. He is turning more human. He is in more control. "Derek, now. Do it now!" He howls. This is a pack howl. I can feel it up my spine. The others join in, and so do I. This is a call to the wolf in Jackson. With Lydia's love and the whole pack being there it is causing the shift. The shift from Kanima, to Werewolf. He sinks to his knees and Lydia stays with him.

"Do you… Do you still." He is barely able to speak the words.

"I do. I do still love you. I do, I do still love you. I do." She is crying and it looks like Jackson is dying. Essentially he is. The Kanima had to be purged from his system. And the only way to do that is through death. I nod to Derek and walk forward with him. Once I am knelt down next to Lydia I put a hand on her shoulder. She is holding him and his back is bare. Derek is on the other side of him. "Remember what I said has to happen in order for him to come back. Derek is doing this to help him. Not hurt him." She nods and keeps her face in Jackson's hair. I look to Derek, and he looks solemnly back at me. Then he sinks his claws into Jackson's back, killing him. His breath goes out. And as she lays him down on the floor, the last parts of him revert to his human side.

It takes a few minutes and Lydia has her head buried in my shoulder. Derek is standing over us, ready just in case he is out of control. Then Jackson's eyes open, and they are crystal blue. Just like I thought they would be. He slowly stands up and I rise with Lydia still in my arms. As he reaches his full height he lets his head back and roars. His wolf recedes and Lydia rushes into his arms.

A small giggle makes its way out of my throat, and I can hear the other wolves, sans Scott, making similar noises. I turn to Derek and pull him in for a searing kiss. That does get Scott to make a noise. But I don't care. We saved Jackson and no one had to die to do it. Well okay he had to die, but then, not really. Derek returns the kiss with equal force. And I pull back with a smile on my face. Then I race to my trunk and pull out some clothes. I seem to be using them a lot lately. Maybe I should start carrying some for everyone. I go back around and hand them to Jackson who hastily put them on and then surprises all of us by pulling me into a hug. I am shocked at first, but then I can feel the bond. To him and even Peter. Derek accepted him into the pack. I am not really too surprised. It doesn't take long for me to hug him back and then Derek is behind me and the rest of the pack is there. Lydia, and Allison included. Tethers go out to them as well. Pack. It resounds in my head. Derek is rubbing my arm and I know he can see the bruises, but he isn't asking right now, and for that I am contented. I will tell him later.

I see Scott standing off to the side looking obviously uncomfortable. But I don't even care. I am so centered on this moment. Right now. Family. This isn't just a pack. It is a family. And this time I am crying from happiness. I am not the only one. This feels so right. We finally all separate and there is lots of talking but I am not really paying any attention to it. I just look at everyone. I am smiling so much I can't even contain my happiness. When I start to look around, I see Peter standing over a body. When I get a closer look I see it's Gerard, he is dead. There is a bite mark on his arm and black oozing out of the wound. He is lying in a pool of it. It looks like his blood. But it is thicker. I look at Derek with confusion. He comes over and entwines his hand with mine. I get flashes of the fight. All of them getting knocked around by the Kanima. Gerard showing up when Derek is wounded. He shoots Isaac and Boyd. Erica has a few slash marks but is still standing. And then Scott has his claws in Derek's back, and has his head tilted back. I hear snippets of the conversation. That Gerard threatened his mom and he has no choice. And then Derek is forced to bite Gerard. And then the bite is being rejected. Gerard is not going to turn, he is going to die. Painfully.

By the time the last of the visions is over I am halfway across the room to where Scott is, I throw the mountain ash I had in my pocket and will it into a ring ten feet across and then I am on Scott punching him in the face. Yells go out and the wolves, all of them, are at the line but not able to enter. Scott is so surprised at my attack that my fist connects and there is an audible crack. "Allison, Lydia, one of you break the line, Now!" Derek is yelling and right as I am about to take another swing at Scott there are arms around me pulling me back. I don't fight it, but I am yelling.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU BETRAYED US. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? YOU WERE GOING TO LET GERARD KILL DEREK! DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS TO ME? NO YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD HANDLE THIS ALL ON YOUR OWN. YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING. I AM YOUR BEST FRIEND AND I HAVE BEEN HELPING YOU THROUGH ALL OF THIS, EVEN WHEN IT MEANT PUTTING MYSELF AND MY FATHER IN DANGER. I KEPT DOING IT, SO SAVE YOUR SORRY ASS." Derek is trying to calm me down through the bond and he won't let go of me he holds me tight. The other wolves put themselves between Scott and I. Even Peter and Jackson. Then I start to cry. "Derek is my Mate. My True Mate." That gets a look from Peter. "He is part of me. And you were just going to let him die. Just so you could have Allison. If you had told me, told us, we could have protected your mom. We could have done this together. Instead you tried to take care of it yourself. Look where that got you. Look at all the people in front of you. This is a pack. This is a family. You are alone, and you have no one to blame but yourself." My voice is hoarse by the time I am done yelling. My chest is heaving and I finally go limp in Derek's arms. He holds me to him and looks me in my eyes, his a brilliant purple.

"I am okay. I am alive." He sends love through the bond. "We are alive. All of us. Thanks to you. It is done." And with those last words the whole night catches up with me and I black out.

…

When I come to this time, I am in my room. And there is a mess of bodies all around me. We are on the floor. Isaac and Erica are on either side of me, Allison is on the bed behind me with a hand in my hair. Boyd is behind Erica and has an arm draped across her over to me. Lydia has her head on my thigh and Jackson is behind her holding my hand. This should be uncomfortable, but it's not. I try not to shift to wake the others. Derek and Peter aren't in my immediate line of sight, but I can feel Peter outside. I am glad he didn't decide to join us, but I feel bad for him at the same time. So I send a thrum of gratitude through the bond.

Derek is in his usual chair in my room watching all of us. Completely awake. There is a smile on his face. That same smile I saw in my dream all those months ago. One that is not haunted with the weight of guilt in it. I send him so much love through our bond. And there is a smile on my face as well. But after thinking about what has happened tonight it starts to fade. There is a tug on the bond, and I look up to meet Derek's glowing green eyes. And he just shakes his head. There is reassurance there. And I know that not all of this is perfect but it will all work itself out. And I am okay with that. Time heals all wounds and all that jazz.

When everyone wakes up I have been lying there awake for well over an hour. Everyone stretches, "How about Pancakes?" There is a general murmur of agreement. And we all get up and head down stairs. I pull out three packages of bacon that I know my dad was hiding, some sausages, eggs, bread for toast, and all the stuff to make pancakes with. Wolves have a large apatite.

The rest of the day goes by pretty low key. I ask about my dad, and they say that he went to work after they all came in with him passed out. Derek says that if I want to tell him everything that it would be okay. And I think that after this I am going to need to. I have wanted to keep him safe, but now that I am dating the Alpha, well, things will get complicated.

School is canceled for the rest of the week, good thing we only have a few days left. Jackson is going to have to set some things straight with the hospital about not being dead. I think that Mrs. M. is going to help with that. Then I send them all away before my dad gets home, except for Derek and Isaac. Somewhere along the line Isaac became my new best friend. Some part of me feels like I should feel bad, but the other part is too content to deal with that.

I make dinner for the four of us, and when my dad comes home he sees us sitting around watching TV. "Hi Dad." I stand up and he comes over to hug me. Then he pulls away. "So we have some things we need to talk about."

"I would say so."

"Okay so there is no easy way to break this. I have been thinking of a way how to for the last few months, and I still can't get it out." I start pacing. He sits in his chair and is watching me. "So I am just going to come out and say it… Werewolves are real. And I have been helping the ones that live here through some really hard stuff the last few months."

"Stiles, now is not the time to be playing games."

"Dad, I'm not joking." I stop pacing. And look over to Derek. "Please show him." Derek stands and I move between him and my dad. He still has his gun on him, and I don't want him to shoot Derek. "Now dad you are going to freak out, but I don't want you to shoot him. Okay?" I nod my head and Derek's eyes turn violet with a silver rim. When did that happen? He also extends his claws. Thankfully he doesn't go full wolf. That would have been a mistake. But Dad still jumps to his feet and has his gun raised. I sigh and step more in front of him making my dad lower the gun, I put a hand on his arm, and I can tell that he starts to calm down. "He won't hurt me. Or you. I am part of his pack."

"How- when?" I watch as he start to think, and I can tell when it all clicks in his head. I didn't get all my detective skills from watching cop shows after all. "The unexplained murders. All of them from the last few months. That was-"

"Not him dad. He was trying to stop it just like you were. But yes, the first ones were a werewolf. The last few that have happened, all the ones connected to Matt, that was still all him, and something he was controlling. I won't go into that right now, but I will later." I can see the questions in his eyes. "This is what I haven't been able to tell you. This is what I have been hiding from you. Every time you saw me at a crime scene, or didn't see me. The school, the mechanic's garage, me stealing the van, all of it. I was trying to keep you out of it. I was trying to keep you safe."

"Kid, that is my job, not yours."

"I know, but there was no way you would have been able to handle this. I was barely handling it. I couldn't let you die. I couldn't lose you too." He has me in a hug again before I even finish speaking.

"No more secrets kid. No more."

"Okay dad." I still haven't told him about Derek, but that can wait for another day. One when we are not overloading on emotion, and one where Derek isn't in range of my dad's gun. We are all quite for about ten minutes. Dad is processing and we aren't interrupting. Finally he looks up at me.

"So I guess there is no use in grounding you, is there. You are going to sneak out and do this anyway."

"Probably."

He looks over my shoulder, "You'll keep him safe." It is more of a statement than a question.

"I'd die for him." That makes me turn my head. It is a heady feeling when the person you love says something like that.

"Good. If he gets hurt, I am holding you responsible." Derek just nods. And then I lead us all into the kitchen to get dad some leftovers to eat. Dad asks more questions. A lot of it he starts to figure out on his own. He knows there is something up with the Argents, and we tell that they are Hunters, and that before they were our enemies (besides Allison), and now they are somewhat allies. Derek says that they still have to work out a treaty of some kind, but it is a start. I tell him how this all began, and skip over other parts, like that the Alpha was Peter, it was Gerard who beat me, and a few other things, that dad really doesn't need to know about. He guesses who is a wolf now, Isaac, Erica, Boyd, and Jackson. And we tell him that Scott's mom is in the know, so if he needs another adult to talk to he can turn to her. Then he asks if Scott is part of the pack and I can't say anything. Derek and Isaac tell him what Scott did. And I can feel dad's sorrow for me. He knows what losing Scott means to me. He just puts a hand on my shoulder and I fight the tears that are threatening to appear.

What does surprise me is that he did save Isaac from Gerard. Maybe there is hope for him yet. But that is a long road that he will have to seek on his own. I cannot forgive for what he has done to me and my pack. Over all, dad takes it all in stride. I can see that there is going to be an adjustment period, but I think that everything will work out alright. "So can I be expecting to have the lot of them over here more?"

"Probably, is that okay?" I am really hopeful.

"Yeah, I don't mind. Just so long as they don't eat us out of house and home. Curfews still stand, unless there are extenuating circumstances, but I expect to be notified when that happens. I want to know what is going on."

"I think that can work out for all of us." I look over to Isaac and Derek. It's then that I realize. Isaac is Derek's second. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner.

"And you need to get yourself a job and a place to live." Dad is pointing at Derek. My eyes go wide.

"Dad, you can't just-"

"No, Stiles he is right. I do. I actually have a few ideas already. I am going to rebuild the house. But until then I have gotten an apartment for Isaac and myself to live in."

"What?" This is the first I have heard of it.

"I am taking custody of Isaac until he graduates high school. I already have the paper work filed. And I have an apartment picked out. We move in at the end of the week."

"What about a job?"

"Well, sir."

"Jon, call me Jon."

"Jon, I was thinking that since you are down a few officers at the moment, I might be able to help you. Not as a cop, but more of a resource. When a crime that is more supernatural in nature occurs, I can help you solve the case, and make it appear more, well, normal."

I stare at Derek in wonder. He keeps surprising me and I love it. Then I look over to dad, who is in contemplation. "I think that might just work. It would be more freelance though. Not steady."

"I understand that. I still have some family money, and I can get a job at the local garage. I am pretty good with cars, and I think they could use an extra hand." All I can think of is Derek in coveralls tied at the waist with a wife beater and grease and sweat everywhere. A tug at the bond gets my attention back and my thoughts out of the gutter, but I can feel the effect it had on Derek too. And that makes the smile on my face even bigger. He wants this. And he knows I know he does.

The rest of dinner goes smoothly and Isaac and Derek leave. I get a sense that I should keep my window open tonight, and I bid them goodbye.

I go back in the house and start doing the dishes. Dad is still sitting at the table with a beer in his hand. The silence that follows is comfortable. Neither one of us needs to say anything more. This was a lot to take in. "So how long have you and Derek been together?" I drop the glass in my hand back in the sink and turn around.

"What?" I swear I start sweating right there. We talked about everything else. I thought I would have a few weeks before I broke this to him.

"How long have you and Derek been together? I am not blind you know."

"I- we're- it's" I am totally lost for words.

"Look, I don't know how I should be reacting to this. I'm not okay with it. He is twenty-three and you are only just seventeen." Yeah my birthday happened during all of this crazy BS, and everyone kind of forgot. Well I didn't say anything and only Scott and Dad knew. I still got a gift from dad, and our usual junk food and movie marathon happened. But it was tainted by all the death that was happening. Scott didn't remember. And it hurts, but not as much anymore. It is so low on the list of things that hurts. But that is so off topic. "Well, Stiles."

I dry my hands and come back to the table. "We aren't really together. Not in the way that you are thinking. We have only kissed three times, and even then we were more or less testing the waters. It still isn't really official." Okay so that's a lie. "And I know he is older than me, and he has a record even though he was exonerated, and that he seems like the wrong choice for me. But he needs me dad. And I need him. And I know he won't do anything unless you are okay with it. He is that kind of guy. But I need you to be at least a little okay with him. I don't want to see him behind your back. I want to have your approval on this. I was going to tell you. I was just planning on waiting a few days." Maybe weeks. "It is still new for us too. I am not even sure he will let it happen." Totally happening. "Take the way you feel about it and times that by like a million. And that is the way he feels."

"You love him that much?"

"More." I say it without hesitation. When it first comes out I am not sure that it is true, but after a closer examination of my feelings, I can tell it is. 100% true.

My dad looks a bit shocked, but his face relaxes, and he lets out a sigh. "Your mother would have approved of him. She always said you would go for the broken ones." He laughs a little thinking about it, and then his face straightens out into serious dad mode. "The same rules apply here. Home at curfew, you will not be spending nights at his apartment without telling me about it first. I don't want to know what happens. I don't what to have to arrest him. I am expecting him here once a week for family dinners and… be careful. Being that in love can really hurt if it ends."

"He won't dad. He would never hurt me."

"I wasn't talking about him hurting you." That rocks me to the core. Holy Shit! I get up and walk over to him and wrap him in a Stilinski hug. He tells me to leave the dishes, he'll do them and I go back up to my room.

When I get there Derek is there and I am not really surprised. "So you heard all that?" He doesn't answer, just looks at me contemplating. "I'll take that as a yes. Look I don't know what you want to happen here, but that is the way I feel, the way I have felt for a long-" he cuts me off with a gentle kiss. He pulls back but rests his forehead on mine. Our eyes are level, being about the same height has its advantages.

"I don't deserve you." And the vulnerability in his voice catches me off guard.

"No, you really don't." I smirk, but he is being serious.

"I really don't. But you won't leave me alone until this happens." Fact, not a question.

"Exactly." I have to smirk a little. He is catching on after all.

His body is shaking a little. "You realize this is forever right? No turning back."

"Yes, I do."

"It won't be easy, I'm stubborn, determined, and will always give you grief."

"I'm just as stubborn, way more determined than you could ever be, and I will give it right back." It sounds like we are giving wedding vows. "I don't expect miracles overnight. You are emotionally stunted and justly so. We both have baggage here, but I will never let you wallow in it again. I meant what I said about you being done with the pity train. You have a pack now. A- a family. They need you, **I**need you. Don't shut us out. And I expect to be taken out on dates. In public. This isn't just being Mates, or True Mates, or whatever. This is a relationship, you are my boyfriend. You are my forever. I love you. I will always love you."

He hesitates for a moment. And his lips are on mine again. There is heat and passion, and love. He pulls back for a second before I crash my lips to his. "I love you too."

* * *

I know I kinda leave it cliffhangery, (is that even a word?), But True Mates picks up like right after the last scene here. And I know there are a few unanswered questions left open. Those will all be answered in like the first few chapters of the next story. There was just so much to put here and I didn't want to overpower the fact that they FINALLY got together. Lost more learning to be had with these two!

Also please remember that the next story arc will have some sex in it. Not every chapter, and never takes up a whole chapter, but it is there. So be warned. I might try to put in breaks so everyone knows when it starts and when it stops for those who don't want to read it. It isn't integral to the story, but it was a lot of fun to write.

Just so you all know, Isaac/Allison is going to happen. I just don't like Scott, and Allison can do so much better. So be warned about that too.

Otherwise PLEASE tell me what you guys thought! Your reviews and comments are always soooo appreciated. I love to know if you loved it or hated it or whatever! So please tell me! Thanks, until Wednesday!


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